Wuncler Academy
by queenlomarie
Summary: Huey and Riley are forced to attend Wuncler Academy: a very competitive school filled with competitive people. The Academy should be a life-changing experience. But nothing is ever perfect, and they're about to find out the hard way, and they'll see how far people are willing to go to remain perfect *edited summary*
1. An Unwanted First Day

**Hey guys, so I'm making another new story because why not (: Don't worry, I'm still working on my other two, I've just hit a bit of a writers block & I'm trying to finish out another chapter. I really wanted to write a story about the group in actual high school, not out fighting bad guys or getting into a lot of grown-up drama. Of course, there'll be plenty of that in this story, but more focused on the high school aspect. & probably not as sad as my other story, Fatal. So yeah enjoy (:**

* * *

A young boy buttoned up his white collared shirt, tucking it into his black trousers. He wore a pair of fancy looking shoes that were black as night. He then pulled on his red sweater, which had an emblem on the upper left corner, where his heart was. It had two letters stitched on in gold thread; WA. He pulled at the collar uncomfortably. Grabbing his backpack, he headed into the bathroom, where he began to try and mangle with his larger than life afro.

"RILEY! "Someone yelled. The young boy could hear another younger boy, known as Riley Freeman, getting his ass whooped yet again. "Riley, where's your uniform? "The voice asked.

"I ain't gonna wear that! "Fifteen year old Riley shot back, "It's gay! "

"Nigga I don't care how gay it is, you're gonna wear it no matter how much ya hate it! "The voice, belonging to an older man, roared, "Now get your little black ass back into ya room and change boy! "

"Fine Granddad! "Riley yelled, marching back up the stairs of their home and into his room. The young boy could hear Riley slamming his door shut.

"Huey! "The old man, known as Robert Freeman, hollered. The young boy, known as seventeen year old Huey Freeman, opened the bathroom door to answer his grandfather, "Yeah Granddad? "

"You and your dumbass brother better not be late on the first day! "Granddad yelled, "It's y'alls first day of school here and y'all better make it a good one, or else! "Granddad hobbled up the stairs of their small mansion in the suburbs of their new town; Woodcrest. His cane made a thudding noise on the wooden stairs. Huey met him in the upstairs hallway, "Please make sure he stays outta trouble. Lord knows he was a handful back in Chicago. "

Huey rolled his eyes. He, his brother, and his grandfather had just moved to Woodcrest over the summer in July. They had lived in Chicago all their lives, the move was not fun for any of them. Robert believed that his grandsons needed a fresh start in a clean, white-filled city that wasn't Chicago.

Huey hated it there. He had loved his old home, where he had his best friend, Cairo. Riley missed Chicago too, although he didn't have as many friends as Huey, and he rarely socialized with Huey's friends. Being two years younger made all the difference.

"I'll try Granddad, "Huey replied. Riley stomped into the hallway, wearing the same uniform as Huey, "Why we gotta go to this dumbass rich kid school Granddad? "He whined, "'Cause yo momma and daddy wanted y'all too, now hush up boy. "Robert snapped, "Y'all gonna miss the bus if y'all don't hurry, and I ain't driving y'all up there! "

Riley had slung his bag over one shoulder and walked down the stairs with Huey. They stopped at the front door for their grandfather to give them each a short hug goodbye, "Now no skipping out. If I find out either of ya miss a class, y'all both getting whipped! "

"Alright Granddad! "The boys said together. They opened the door and headed outside.

Woodcrest wasn't as bad as they had initially thought when first arriving, but it wasn't Chicago either. The neighbors were all white and stuck up, like Huey had predicted on the flight there. The city seemed too clean, too happy, and yet too dangerous at the same time. This sure as hell wasn't Chicago. The air was cleaner than the real city, and the lawns were always green and full of flowers that Huey couldn't stand to look at.

Riley kicked a rock on the paved sidewalk, "Man, this is bullshit! "He cursed, "Why in the hell do we gotta go to this crappy white school? "

"Because we're supposed to, "Huey replied simply, "Man, I bet we'll be the only black niggas there! "Riley complained, "I'll be the only nigga in my classes Huey! That ain't a good look! "

"You're being a baby, I'm sure there's other black kids at the school, "Huey assured him, "You'll have to actually talk to people, though, and not in your 'gangsta' language. "

"Man, this is how I talk! "Riley insisted. They stopped at the corner of the street, next to a large, red stop sign. There were other cars driving by, and then they spotted the bus, "Well then adapt, "Huey shrugged. He shifted his backpack around. Riley tossed his from one arm to the other, "This some old bullshit, "He repeated.

The bus stopped in front of them and the doors opened. Huey stepped inside first and was surprised to see an old, black man at the wheel. He was fat and had a lazy eye, "Y'all little monkeys get on now! "He barked, "I am Uncle Ruckus, no relation. I'll be y'alls bus driver for the year, "He gave them solemn nods, "Now hurry up and get on! "

Huey and Riley took seats in the back, side by side, since they didn't want to be the ones sitting in front. Huey scanned the crowd of kids dressed similarly for another colored person, but had no luck. Sighing, he sat by the window and stared out at the houses that whirled by.

They made several other stops along the way. Each time, Huey watched to see if a colored person would board, but again, no luck. "See nigga, I told you, "Riley whispered annoyingly into his ear. Huey sighed.

* * *

The school was much bigger than either of the boys had anticipated. It was like a college. There was a huge front area with trees and a fountain. They pulled up and could see other kids walking around, all in the same uniform. But to their dismay, they seemed to be the only colored people there.

They stepped off the bus, while the bus driver cast them dirty looks, "Why he gotta be racists to his own people? "Riley asked Huey once they had gotten off the bus. Huey shrugged, "Some old stupid nigga Riley, just leave him alone and he won't bother you. "

"New comers over here! "Someone shouted. Huey and Riley turned their heads to see over the crowd. Huey stood at 6'2, while Riley stood at 5'11, but there were a lot of tall teenagers there, surprisingly. In fact, most of the school seemed to be on the giant side. Huey and Riley weaved their way over to where they had heard the voice.

They ended up with another group of kids in front of cheerleaders. The cheerleaders were the same; tall, white, blonde hair, skinny. They all had a chirpy voice and a bounce in their step with fake smiles that looked too big for their faces. They wore a red and white crop top with long sleeves with the gold WA on the front. They had matching red and white short skirts and white shoes.

"Okay new comers, "One of the tall blondes said. She had blue eyes and a very muscular looking frame, "I am Veronica, head cheerleader here at Wuncler Academy! We're so glad to have you all here this year! "She flashed a pearly white smile.

"Jesus, "Riley muttered, "Who taught her how to act? "He snickered. Huey smiled vaguely.

Veronica didn't hear the two boys, but she sure did spot them. It wasn't that hard; they seemed to be the only black boys in the crowd, "Well, who do we have here, boys? "She approached them with a sway in her hips, "Where did you two come from? "

"Chicago, "Huey replied flatly.

His voice was deep and rich. Veronica smiled, "Well, what's your name? "

"I'm Huey, "Huey replied, "This is my brother, Riley. "Riley gave her a nod that caused a few of the other girls to swoon.

"Well, all of you are new here, correct? "Veronica asked, addressing the crowd. Everyone replied with a solemn yes, "Well, my squad and I are going to show you all around the school and help you get your schedules, "She said. She turned back to Huey, "And what grade are you two in? "

"I'm a freshman, "Riley said, his ghetto accent perked up a few people's ears, "My brother's a junior this year. "

"Oooh, really now, "Veronica said, licking her lips, "I'm a junior myself. "She gave a little cutesy giggle that made Riley want to make fun of her and Huey want to roll his eyes. But, they contained themselves as best they could.

"Well come on now guys, we're going to give you a short tour before heading to the main offices, "Veronica said. She bounced away to the other cheerleaders. Riley snickered, "Well, well, looks like someone has a little girlfriend, "He teased. Huey shot him a death glare, "Shut up Riley, "He muttered, turning to walk away. Riley only laughed a little louder.

Veronica eyed the two with her friends, "You see them? "She asked. Her best friend, a perky blonde girl with green eyes, nodded, "Hell yeah, how could I miss them? "This was Samantha McGleen, a sophomore with a feisty attitude and a killer sense of style. She stood at 5'4, just two inches shorter than Veronica.

"What do you say, they're totally hot, "Veronica stated. Samantha nodded, laughing, "Let's see…I call Riley. He's so cute! "She giggled, "Then I have Huey to myself, "Veronica smirked, "I'll have him before semester. "

Huey didn't like the school, especially that gawky cheerleader who was a tad too tall. He had spotted her saunter over to another equally tall blonde girl, who was laughing and turning red.

Finally, the cheerleaders rounded up the group and began their tour, with Veronica at the front, being the tour guide. She pointed out the different facilities that were outside, since that was where they were starting.

Huey felt someone bump into him. He turned around and felt something collide with his arm, and he heard a small squeak. The first thing he saw was hair.

Or more or less, a giant, strawberry colored afro.

He proceeded to look down to see who was attached to this mass of hair. He found it odd that he hadn't seen it before, it was so obvious and…huge.

A girl was rubbing her head. She was probably no more than 5'2, but her hair seemed to be bigger than her actual body. "Ow…, "She murmured, looking up. Huey stared into the biggest emerald eyes he had ever seen in his entire life. She had rather light skin, but he could tell that she was darker than the actual white girls at the school; a mulatto.

"I'm sorry, "He said sincerely. She put her hand down and gave him a big smile, "No problem, "She said. She wore the same cheer uniform as the other girls, "I didn't see you earlier, "Huey pointed out. The girl's face turned slightly red, "Oh! T-that's because I woke up a little late, I-, "

"Jazmine! "Samantha called out. The girl, Jazmine, whirled her head around to see her fellow cheerleader give her a nasty glare, "Come on, you're with this half, "She gestured to a section on the opposite side of where she was with Huey. Jazmine only nodded, "Be right there! "She said sweetly.

She turned to Huey, "Well, it was nice meeting you, er-, "

"Huey, "Huey said, "I'm Huey. "

"I'm Jazmine, Jazmine Dubois, "Jazmine gave him another award winning smile and rushed away towards Samantha.

"Oooh, got another little girlfriend? "Riley elbowed his brother. Huey gave him a look, "That girl…she must be part black or something. Did you see her hair? "

"Yeah, bigger than yours, "Riley mocked. Huey shoved him, "Shut up. "He warned. Riley laughed out loud at his brother, "Damn Huey, we just got here and you already have two girls on the list. "

"Riley, I'm pretty sure you're going to be sleeping with every girl here by the end of the week, "Huey shot back. A few of the other kids who heard him whistled at the comeback. Riley only scoffed, "Whatever nigga, at least I ain't no pussy nigga like you. "A few more kids chuckled at that.

"I'm not a 'pussy nigga', "Huey corrected him, "I'm just smarter. "

Riley stuck his tongue out and flipped him off, "Go tell that to someone who care nigga, "Riley said, that being the only comeback he could think of. Huey started walking away with the rest of the group, shaking his head and laughing, "You really need a better set of comebacks, "

* * *

"How was y'alls first day? "Granddad asked once they had arrived home at two thirty. Riley threw his backpack down and kicked off his shoes. He pulled off the sweater and tossed it aside, "Dumb as fuck, "He replied, "Nothing but white people over there Granddad! "

"Maybe they'll teach ya to not be thuggin' all the time, "Granddad shot back. Huey didn't say anything when he walked in, "What about you Huey? "Granddad asked. Huey shrugged, "Just as boring as the high school back in Chicago, "He said, "Nothing different, except for those god awful uniforms and the fact that we're probably the only black kids attending that school. "

Granddad roared with laughter, "Well I'll be damned! Well, this it what happens when ya move into a white neighbahood, "He danced into the kitchen, singing one of his familiar tunes. Robert Freeman loved his grandsons dearly, but he couldn't help but laugh at their alienation. He himself had never attended a white school before, but he was sure that they weren't the _only_ black kids there.

"Granddad don't give a shit! "Riley exclaimed. Huey shrugged, "Were you expecting him too? He's granddad, when would he ever give a shit about out social problems. "He traveled to the living room, located near the back of the house. He sat down on the couch and turned the TV on, "It is stupid how he moved us out here, with his white people. He thinks they're so great, damn, "Huey groaned, "He'll never change. "Back in Chicago, their grandfather praised white people. He always said that there was business where ever there were white people.

"This sucks! "Riley jumped onto the smaller couch as their grandfather stepped into the room, "Boy hush up! "He barked, "Yo dumbass lucky enough to be in that dumbass school. "Riley sat up and shook his head, "I don't know how that's lucky. "He retorted.

"Boy you want a beating? "Granddad warned. He rubbed his thinning gray hair, "I'll sure as hell give ya one right now! "

"Hell no! "Riley jumped off the couch and ran into his bedroom, slamming the door shut. Huey sighed and leaned his head back.

* * *

 **& yes I'm trying to brainstorm some ideas for my next chapters for my already existing two stories; No Boundaries and Smoke  & Shadows. R&R on this one and check out my other two ongoing (: thanks la**

 **xoxoxo, Queen**


	2. Those New Boys

**This week has been finals for us, ugh school's a killer.**

* * *

Huey held a white piece of paper in his hands. It was his schedule for the year. He and Riley had gotten them the day before during the tour, which lasted nearly the entire day. With only an hour to kill, they were told to sit in the large auditorium for the remainder of the time.

He scanned his surroundings. He was outside in the front, where the majority of the students were at. All he could see were blondes and brunettes. However, he could easily tell that this school had its own cliques.

He spotted the athletic jocks, who wore their jerseys and carried bags full of gear near the fountain. There were the 'rebellious' kids who had their hair dyed black with purple or green highlights in their bangs, and their hair was all styled pretty much the same. There were the cheerleaders, who were standing with the athletic group. The only person Huey didn't see was the mulatto girl from the day before, Jazmine.

Jazmine was interesting to Huey. She was the only thing close to a black person, it seemed.

He could see the nerds sitting underneath the trees. There were a few other groups scattered around here and there. One thing Huey noticed was that they were all separated somehow.

Riley was chilling by the entrance. He had lost Huey a few minutes previous, but didn't want to go looking for him. Instead, he stayed near the front doors, listening to music on his phone. He was jamming to rap when he felt something touch his leg.

He took out an earbud and glanced down. A basketball had rolled to his feet. He pulled out his other earbud and pocketed them, along with is phone, before picking up the ball.

"Hey, you gonna toss that back? "Someone asked. Riley looked up to see a blonde walking towards him. She wore the female version of the school uniform; a tan skirt and a white collared shirt with a red blazer that bore the WA logo on the upper left corner, where the heart was. She wore white socks that reached the middle of her calves and black shoes. Her hair was tied into two braids that reached below her chest, one in front and the other over her shoulder. There was a purse over one of her shoulders.

"Uh yeah, sure, "Riley shrugged, tossing the ball to her. She caught it with one hand, "You new here, huh? "She asked. Riley nodded, "Yeah, moved here over the summer. "

"From where? "She asked.

"Chicago, "Riley replied.

"That's pretty fly, "The girl smirked, "I'm Cindy, Cindy McPhearson. "She introduced herself.

"I'm Riley Freeman, "He gave her a nod, as he did to most people. She gave him a smug little smile, "Anyone can spot ya from a mile away, "She pointed out, "This place is full of white people. "

"I've noticed, "Riley muttered.

"Who did ya move here with? "Cindy asked. She stood beside him, leaning against the school wall as he was doing, "My brother and my granddad. My brother's a junior here, I'm a freshman, "

"That's cute, I'm a sophomore, "Cindy said, "You don't look like a freshman. "She added, "You're real tall. "

"Most of the niggas here are, "He shrugged, "All y'all hybrid white people, "

Cindy laughed. He liked her laugh, it made him laugh, too. "I guess, "She said, "I don't think I'm tall, I'm only 5'5. "

"That's pretty tall, "Riley shoved his hands into his pockets, "I don't know what to do honestly. I can't find Huey, my brother. His dumbass walked off somewhere, probably gettin' lost. This school bigger than the bitches back home. "He joked. Cindy rolled her eyes and laughed, "I've never seen Chicago bitches before. "

"They big and ugly, "He made a face. Cindy smiled. The bell rang, signaling the students to head to first period, "Well, I gotta go, "She said, "I have history first. What 'bout you? "Riley pulled out his schedule from his pocket, "I got science, "

"That'll be over there, "She pointed to the right side, "The room numbers are all posted above each hallway, so you'll know where ya going, "

Students began to pour into the building, pushing Cindy and Riley out of the way. Someone stepped on Cindy and caused her to curse. Riley grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her in front of him. Cindy's face went a little red as he pushed her in front of him, signaling her to go. When she turned around, he wasn't there anymore.

Huey spotted his brother talking to a white chick, and then saw what he did. He approached him and gave him a funny look, "Who's got a little girlfriend now, Riley? "He teased. Riley scowled, "Whatever nigga. "He punched him in the arm.

* * *

Huey and Riley had different lunches.

Huey had his lunch before Riley did. He entered the large cafeteria, which looked more like a mall's food court. There were large windows that made up one of the walls that had doors, connecting the room to the outside, where tables were set up. There were round tables in the lunch room, along with booths and bar-like tables. The ceiling was high enough for a large chandelier to dangle down. The school's colors, red and gold, were the basis of every table and chair and different colored tile on the floor.

There were lines near the back, and Huey realized that they were serving fast food items, like Chik-Fil-A and Wendy's. There was a variety to choose from. Huey decided to stick with a plain salad from Chik-Fil-A with a water. He carried his lunch in a bag towards the doors that led outside.

"Oh Huey! "Someone's annoying voice called out. He cringed; he recognized it as Veronica's. He turned around and spotted her waving at him from a booth. She was sitting with a few other girls…wait…

A familiar strawberry blonde afro popped up from the table, like she had been asleep.

Jazmine.

Huey made his way over through the crowd. Once he approached, Veronica had the girl she was sitting next to scoot over so Huey could sit by her, "Well fancy that, we have the same lunch! "She said with a grin. Huey sucked in a breath, "Yeah, what a coincidence, "He said rather sarcastically, but the girls didn't seem to mind. Instead, they laughed. Except for Jazmine.

She was leaned over a few papers. She had a small bowl of food set to the side with a bottle of pink Gatorade. Huey stared at her for a moment until he heard Veronica calling his name.

"Hmm? "He answered.

"I was asking you how your first day has been going, "Veronica said cheerily, taking a large bite out of her Wendy's burger. Huey tried to not smell the meat, "It's been fine, "He said smoothly. He opened his salad and splashed on some ranch.

"Ew, what's that? "One of the other cheerleaders asked.

"It's a salad, "Huey said, "Haven't you seen one before? "

"Yeah, but there's no meat on it! "She exclaimed, disgusted.

"I'm a vegetarian, "Huey replied evenly, taking a large bite. Jazmine had the urge to laugh at the other girl, but she bit her bottom lip instead. She finally put her papers away in a binder that was on the floor beside her. She grabbed her fruit and took small bites of the grapes, strawberries, kiwis, and mangos that were inside.

"Jazmine over here is kind of a vegetarian too, "Samantha pointed out. Veronica cast her a look, but turned back to Huey and smiled cutely, "Oh yes, Jazmine's all about saving the earth, especially the animals. "She laughed with the other girls while Jazmine's face turned slightly red.

"I think that's a wonderful idea, "Huey countered smartly. This made Veronica stop laughing, "O-oh, well yes, it is a good idea-, "

"Animals are important to the Earth, they were here before man. "He gave Jazmine a small half smile before standing up, "I'm going to go finish my meal outside. It's a nice day today, "He picked up his things and turned to walk away.

Veronica huffed, "Jesus Jazmine, be less noticeable, "She hissed. Jazmine only bit back her smile.

* * *

Riley was trying not to laugh.

His fifth period teacher was being a total idiot, and Riley was told that this was how he normally was.

Riley had math for fifth, and his teacher was a skinny, gawky man named Mr. Shirley. He had thinning red hair and pale skin paired with bright freckles across his cheeks. He wore his pants way too high up and his shirt was tucked in only in the front.

He was trying to say something, but Riley, being the natural bad boy he was, kept interrupting with remarks that made the whole class laugh.

"Now Mr. Freeman, "Mr. Shirley tried.

"Jesus, I said call me Riley, "Riley groaned, "I'm not no 'Mr.' anything! "He flashed a gleaming smile that made a few girls sigh dreamily. Mr. Shirley didn't think he was too charming, but this boy was intimidating.

He had heard of the Freeman boys; the teachers were told to watch out for them, that they had come from the bad side of Chicago. And he was starting to think that the principle was right.

Riley glanced out the window he was sitting by. He could see the basketball courts from where he was. Suddenly, he spotted a familiar blonde with braided pigtails. He shot up from his seat, "Yo, Mr. I gotta use the bathroom, "He said, starting to walk towards the door, "Now wait a second, did I say you could go? "Mr. Shirley asked.

"Do you got control over my bladder? "Riley shot back, earning laughter from the class. Mr. Shirley was powerless over Riley as he walked out of the door. Riley slipped out one of the nearby doors that led outside and raced towards the court.

He spotted Cindy shooting by herself. He approached her, "Hey, since when ya been on the squad? "He asked.

Cindy huffed as she threw another ball, making the shot, "Since last year. Remember, I'm a sophomore. "She cracked a smile before grabbing another discarded ball and dribbling it to another spot. She dribbled a little more before making her shot. This time she missed, hitting the rim.

"Don't ya have class? "Cindy asked. Riley shrugged, "Eh, who cares, "He cracked one of his heart throbbing smiles that caused Cindy to trip over a ball she was aiming to pick up. Riley chuckled as he strode over to her, helping her up, "Damn girl, why you tripping? "He arched a brow.

Cindy smiled as she took his outstretched hand. Now standing, she picked up a ball and dribbled for a second. Then, she tossed it to him, "You've played? "She asked. Riley nodded, taking off his sweater, "Yeah, played back in Chicago for a while before coming over here, "He replied. He tossed is sweater to the side and began to unbutton his shirt.

Cindy felt her face turn red as he was shirtless. Well, he wore a wife beater underneath, but it still made her turn red. She was thankful that she was already pretty red from playing. He tossed his shirt on top of his sweater and stomped his feet, "Damn, I hate these shoes, "He muttered.

"Don't we all? "She said. Riley dribbled the ball for a moment before beginning to walk around. Cindy tried to grab it from him but he quickly sidestepped her and rushed over to the basketball hoop and jumped into the air, making a perfect shot. He landed on his feet and turned around. Cindy caught the ball and started dribbling away, "Not bad, "She said.

Riley blocked Cindy, but Cindy was able to get past him and made a shot. The ball circled the rim before eventually going into the hoop.

"Not bad yoself, "Riley gave her another smile. They played for a few more minutes, each taking their turn at victory. Cindy heard the alarm on her phone, which was sitting on a bench, beep.

"Damn, "She muttered, stopping, "That's my signal to go hit the showers. "

Riley nodded, "Been fun playing with ya, "He said, going to retrieve his shirt and sweater. He pulled his shirt on first and quickly buttoned it up. Next came his sweater. Cindy grabbed her things and walked with him out of the courts. "You sure you won't get into trouble? "She asked. Riley shrugged, "Probably will. "He admitted, "But I could care less. "

Cindy bit her bottom lip and smiled. She felt a zing in her heart that traveled to her feet as she bounced alongside Riley. She was happy.

They stopped at the door Riley had come out of, "Catch ya later Cindy, "He said, opening the door and walking inside. Cindy turned around and smiled to herself before walking away.

* * *

Jazmine waited in her car, a pink Kia, for Cindy.

The two had been best friends since elementary school, even though Jazmine was a grade ahead of her. Today, Jazmine had news on the new boy, Huey, and how he had stood up for her that day against Veronica.

Cindy opened the passenger door and quickly stuffed her gear into the backseat. She hopped in and slammed the door shut, "Yo girl, I got some news, "She began. Jazmine squealed, "I do too! "

"What? "Cindy asked.

"That new boy, Huey, you should've seen what he did today! "Jazmine swooned over the thought, "What that boy do? "Cindy arched her brow, "He stood up for me against Veronica! "Jazmine jumped up and down in her seat, "You should've seen how red her face got! "

Cindy laughed, but she shook her head, "Why you still on the team? "She asked. Jazmine sighed, "I love cheerleading, even if Veronica is a total bitch. "

Veronica had been head cheerleader since they were sophomores. Veronica was always mean to Jazmine, calling her names like half-breed and biracial freak. It hurt Jazmine a lot, but it never stopped her from being on the team. In fact, her cruel words only pushed Jazmine to become better. She was hoping to make head cheerleader for her senior year.

"What about you? "Jazmine then asked. Cindy felt her face heat up as she smiled, "Well, your Huey's younger brother, Riley, played some b-ball with me today, during class. "She laughed at Jazmine's shocked face, "What?! He skipped class just for you? Awww! "She cooed, making Cindy's face turn red, "Shut up Jazzy! Making me feel embarrassed! "She and Jazmine laughed together.

Jazmine finally started her car and began to roll out of the school. It was nearly three, "Wanna get some food? "She asked, "Got my allowance today. "

"Sure, why not? "Cindy nodded.

The two drove together to a nearby Sonic, laughing about the experiences with the two new boys from Chicago.

* * *

 **My chapters seem really short to me. anyways, till next time. R &R loves**

 **xoxoxo, Queen**


	3. Invited

**Another update for you guys**

* * *

"Wuncler Academy was founded by our very own mayor, Sr. Wuncler, "A tall, pinched looking lady addressed the crowd of new students in the auditorium. She had a tight bun on the top of her head and her face looked like she'd been squinting for so long that it became her natural expression. She held a remote in one of her long hands that controlled a PowerPoint about the school and what not.

It was the third day of Huey and Riley being there, and they were told that they had to attend some kind of new comer's welcome thing that day, along with all the other kids who had just come into the school. This was like a brief on what the school was, who made it, the expected goals, and so on.

"Sr. Wuncler, or Mr. Wuncler, has lived in Woodcrest all his life. His family founded this place, and sought it to be for the richest, most privileged families of the state. "She went on, clicking the slide. It showed an elderly, fat man with little to no hair wearing an expensive suit. He had a mean looking smile on his lips and wrinkles across his face.

"We here at Wuncler Academy know the school's history very well, and you are all expected to know this, too. This is a top notch school, after all, "She clicked the slide once more and the screen that was dangling over the stage went black. She pressed another button and the screen slowly began to rise upwards into the ceiling, shutting down as it did so. She set the remote down on the podium and eyed the students.

Huey sat with Riley near the middle of the room, surrounded by mainly freshman, like Riley.

"Now, we have our cheerleaders here once more to tell you the ropes of the school, and how you can contribute to our community! "She was applauded, out of respect, and disappeared behind the stage curtains. Huey and Riley watched as a flamboyant group of cheerleaders entered the stage; at the head was Veronica, of course.

She grabbed a mic from off the podium and clicked it on, "Well hey there newbies, how are you all liking the Academy so far? "She was met with a roar of applauds. She flashed her premeditated smile and waited until the clapping ceased, "Well, we're here to tell you about what Wuncler Academy has to offer, and what you can do here during the next four years! "She side stepped a little, "I have here with me my co-commander, Samantha McGleen, "Samantha skipped towards Veronica and waved to the crowd, smiling as wide as she could.

"I also have with me our best performers; Tina Mory and Jazmine Dubois! "Huey perked up a bit at Jazmine's name.

An Asian girl with long, jet black hair bounced out of the crowd of cheerleaders. She waved at the crowd, which applauded in return. Then, a strawberry blonde afro came from behind the curtains; Jazmine. She had her afro up into a high bun on her head, but it still looked like a huge puff ball. She was much smaller than most of the other girls on the team, the exception being three others. She smiled and waved.

"Aye, ain't that your little girlfriend? "Riley whispered to Huey. Huey had the urge to smack him, but resisted, "No, she isn't. "

"Damn lie, "Riley retorted, laughing. The crowd quieted down for Veronica to speak.

"Here at Wuncler Academy, we pride ourselves in being the best of the best. We can outdo anyone and anything that comes our way! "Veronica said, motivating the other student, "We also have many different elective classes to choose from. Of course, we have cheerleading, "The cheerleaders whooped from behind her, "But we also have a variety of sports; basketball, softball, football, tennis, swim, track, and golf. We also have our top notch dance team: the Queens, who will perform for you in a little bit. We have many other electives besides sports, such as band, orchestra, choir, theater, and art. You know, the basic, "The crowd laughed a little.

"But then, this is Wuncler Academy. For our math and science wizards, we have engineering classes, robotics, FutureDesign, even Arc Class and Advanced Tech. For you fashionistas, we have Cosmetology, Fashion Design, and the basic business classes. The possibilities are endless here at Wuncler Academy! There are no boundaries to what you can do! "Veronica waited as the crowd clapped after her speech.

"You all picked pathways for yourselves, but right now, you have the opportunity to change that pathway and select different classes suitable for your dream job. My girls will be passing out schedule changes for those who want to modify anything on their already existing schedule. "She snapped her fingers and the cheerleader each grabbed some papers from the podium. They then spread out around the auditorium, going up and down each row. Veronica herself grabbed a few and started up the row where Huey and Riley were.

She spotted them all the way from her podium; they were hard to miss. She approached them was an eager smile and handed the two papers, "Hey, listen, "She twirled a blonde curl with her finger, "I'm having a back-to-school party kind of thing at my place tomorrow. It starts at seven, "She handed Huey an invitation, "See you there, "She smiled and skipped away.

Huey was dumbfounded as he stared at the invitation. It was black with pink and white polka dots all over it. It scribbly letters was Veronica's name, along with the location of the party and the time.

Riley chuckled, "Guess what nigga, your little girlfriend invited you to some lame ass party, "Riley joked, "Told ya she gotta thing for ya, "

"So what. I'm not going, "Huey shrugged. He tossed the invitation into his binder just as the same pinched looking lady from before entered the stage.

* * *

Cindy was shooting some hoops after school when Jazmine went looking for her. It was a practice day, but Jazmine was taking a quick break and went on a hunt for Cindy. She wore a pair of spandex shorts and her cheer shoes with a tank top and sports bra. Her poofy hair was gathered into a bun on top of her head.

Cindy missed her last shot when she spotted Jazmine, "Yo Jazzy, what are ya doing here? "She asked, jogging over to her. Jazmine crossed her arms over her chest, "Veronica keeps telling me to back off, "She said. She needed to speak with her friend about this situation.

"Why? "Cindy asked.

"She's got a thing for the new boy, Huey, and she keeps telling me I'm going to be in her way, "Jazmine rolled her eyes. Secretly, she hoped that Huey wasn't falling for Veronica. There was something about that mocha colored Freeman that made Jazmine's stomach knot up and her heartbeat quicken.

"Screw her! "Cindy replied, "So what if that Freeman boy pays more attention to you than her? I wouldn't give a shit about Veronica! "Cindy had a deep-seeded hatred for Veronica herself. Veronica constantly told Cindy that she was no good, that she would never accomplish her dreams of becoming anything because she was dyslexic.

"I know you're not her biggest fan, "Jazmine said, "But I can't just go up to her and blow up. I'll lose my chance at becoming head cheerleader next year! "She rubbed her temples with her fingers, "She's giving me such a headache, though. Huey stood up for me one time and she think that I'm already his girlfriend or something. "

"Maybe you're on your way to becoming his girl, "Cindy teased. Jazmine looked down at her feet, which were pointed slightly inwards, "I doubt it, "She muttered, "I have too many flaws, according to Veronica. "Cindy only rolled her eyes.

Veronica loved to point out people's flaws, it made her feel empowered. Cindy's obvious one was that she was dyslexic. Jazmine's was that she was slightly pidgin toed.

"Like Veronica doesn't have any flaws, "Cindy huffed, "Well she certainly knows how to hide them, "Jazmine argued, "She seems so perfect! She does everything perfectly; her grades are all A's, she can cheer better than anyone else, she has flawless skin and flawless makeup and flawless everything! "

"There has to be something wrong with her, "Cindy countered, "Nobody's perfect Jaz. I'm sure there's something off about her that we just don't know about. "

"Because she's even perfect and hiding flaws, "Jazmine said under her breath. She uncrossed her arms and gave Cindy a smile, "I gotta head back. See you later, "She turned around and started to walk away. "Want me to come with you tomorrow for the party? "Cindy asked. Jazmine turned her whole body around and began to walk backwards, "Yes! "She called out, giving Cindy the thumbs up. Cindy smirked and waved at Jazmine, who jumped in the air and whirled around at the same time until she was walking straight again.

* * *

Veronica sat in her pearl white bedroom. The walls were a stainless white color, the bed setting was a purple color, meant to signify royalty, mixed with white. Her TV was the only thing black compared to all the other things in her room. Even her desk, vanity table, and all the other furniture were a spotless white. She currently sat at her desk, on her MacBook, messaging Samantha.

 **From princesssam to queenBatcheering: U invited those two guys?**

Veronica rolled her eyes, she had forgotten that she hadn't really mentioned it to her best friend.

 **From queenBatcheering to princesssam: Yes! How could I not? I bet they will come, it'll be amazing with them there!**

 **From princesssam to queenBatcheering: Wat about Jaz? Didn't Huey say something 2 u about her?**

Veronica rolled her eyes at the statement. Huey had indeed defended that mixed breed Jazmine before, when they had caught him at lunch. Jazmine, being Jazmine, had accepted the help, but it only made Veronica boil with rage. She typed furiously in reply.

 **From queenBatcheering to princesssam: I'll make sure he never wants 2 be with Jazmine! He'll HAVE 2 be with me after the party…for sure!**

Veronica was already plotting her plans on making Huey hers. After all, who couldn't resist her?

Veronica had moved from the bottom of the social latter to the top over the course of high school. She gained her title as Queen of the Academy her sophomore year when she made head cheerleader. All the football jocks wanted her, all the non-jocks wanted her, everyone wanted her. She was proud to be so wanted and adored by the entire school, who seemed to be at her beck and call.

Veronica didn't really feel bad about herself at all.

"Veronica honey! "A sing-song like voice called out from her doorway. It opened and a blonde woman in her thirties popped her head in, "Veronica dear, it's almost time for dinner! "

"Yes mother, "Veronica replied, "I'll come down in a minute. "

Her mother, Victoria Lizaben, merely shrugged as she stopped to adjust her false eyelash that was poking her left eye. Veronica was like the miniature version of her mother, they matched each other in everything; height, weight, attitude, makeup techniques, and speech. Veronica's name was even similar to her mother's, and also to her mother's three sisters: Valerie, Vivienne, and Vanessa, and her grandmother, Violet. There were a long line of V's, including her cousins Venus, Vera, Valencia…the list went on and on.

"Your cousin Viola is coming for a visit soon dear, "Her mother added, "Along with your Aunt Vivienne. "

Veronica rolled her eyes. Her Aunt Vivienne was her mother's older sister of two years. She had four kids; three boys and a girl. There was Viola, Aaron, Andrew, and Aston. Her family had a kind of OCD thing on names with the same letter in the beginning. Vivienne was the least pretty of the four sisters and took every chance she had to bash her three younger sisters. What made it even worse was that she had been divorced twice already, and was destined to be an old maid forever.

"Her sons won't be coming. Aaron and Andrew are going off on some kind of cruise with their friends and Aston is away at college. "Victoria explained, "Viola will either stay in here or in the guest room, whichever you prefer. "

"My room! "Veronica burst, "Aunt Vivienne can stay with you! "

Victoria groaned. She despised her older sister as well. She was the second oldest of the four, but secretly, she felt like the oldest. Vivienne spent her life harboring a great resentment of her younger, prettier sisters that always got the dates in high school.

"Well behave, "Victoria shot back, "We don't need a fiasco like last year, "

Veronica giggled.

The year previous, she had compared her Aunt Vivienne's fingers to sausages with the prompting of her Aunt Valerie and forced her Aunt Vivienne to retreat back into her room for a night of crying, only for Veronica to be forced to apologize the next morning. However, her Aunt Vivienne had somehow replaced Veronica's hair care products at some point and managed to dye Veronica's hair a pasty green, which took the whole week to wash out.

"I don't want green dye in my bathroom again! "Victoria huffed. She turned and left the room. Veronica rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time and messaged Samantha again.

 **From queenBatcheering to princesssam: Shopping 4 tomorrow in 5?**

 **From princesssam to queenBatcheering: Be over!**

Veronica tossed a lock of hair over her shoulder and shut her computer down. She grabbed her purse and cell phone and headed out her door.

* * *

 **Like normal humans, these characters have flaws. I based Cindy and Jazmine's flaws off of my own and my cousins (I'm pidgin toed (slightly) and my cousin's dyslexic). What do y'all think is Veronica flaw? Or flaws?**

 **xoxoxo, Queen**


	4. Our Flaws

**I'm trying to get up to date with No Boundaries, but for now, here's this little chapter.**

* * *

Huey sat under one of the trees in the front of the school. He and Riley had arrived early that day at the behest of their grandfather, who had just gotten a job and wanted to be early on his first day. School didn't start until seven thirty, but it was only about to be six fifteen.

Riley had gone off looking for a way into the school, which was barely opening up to the teachers. They trickled in little by little, carrying bags and wheeling behind them crates full of school supplies and whatnot.

Huey pulled out his physics homework and began to work on a few problems. It wasn't due for a while, but he had nothing better to do.

"So you come to school this early? "A familiar voice asked.

Jazmine sat down next to Huey in the grass, startling him, "Erm, you're here early. Don't you live close by? "Huey asked. Jazmine shook her head, "No, not really. I normally get here early because of cheer, but today they gave us a day off. Now I have to stay here until school actually starts, "She cracked a small smile. Huey had the urge to do the same, but refrained.

"So, I hear Veronica invited you to her party tonight, "Jazmine said casually. She picked at the blades of grass nervously. Huey grimaced and nodded, "Yeah, I don't think I'm going to go. Are you? "He asked.

Jazmine nodded, "Well, I have to go. She's requiring the entire cheer team attend, and she expects us to stay nearly the entire time. "

"Wow, how can you stand her? "Huey asked. He shoved his homework into his book bag. Jazmine bit back a smile, "You don't like her? "She asked innocently. Huey shrugged and shook his head, "Not really. She's a little too…uppity for me, honestly. "He could feel Jazmine's large eyes trained on him.

Jazmine realized she was staring and looked away, "Ah, she can be overbearing sometimes. "She admitted.

"Sometimes is an understatement, "Huey chuckled, "I saw how she treated you at the lunch table. I know you don't like her shit, either. "He gave her a look, "So why put up with it? "

Jazmine shifted her weight and sat in a new position, "Well, I want to be head cheerleader next year, "She began, "I really want to prove that I can do it. I'm kind of like a freak here, I guess, because I'm…well…, "

"You're mixed, "Huey said bluntly. Jazmine's face heated up, "Yeah, I am, "She replied, "My mom's white and my dad's black, "She confirmed what Huey had thought.

"What's so bad about that? "Huey asked.

"Well, just look around the school! "She exclaimed, "Everyone here is white, there are even a few Asians. But there are no black people here. I really want to fit in, I don't want to stand out like that. "

Huey felt a bit offended, "Well, Riley and I are here now, and we aren't exactly white. "He said icily. Jazmine realized she insulted him and instantly became apologetic, "Oh no, I didn't mean anything against you! I mean…there's nothing bad about you…or your brother! "

"I get it, "Huey blew her off, causing her to fall back and want to cry. She hadn't meant to insult him, it just came out that way, "You've grown up here, surrounded by white people. I get why you want to fit in. Riley and I grew up in Chicago; there are plenty of colored people there. We just grew up in different areas. "He glanced at her and could see the tears brimming in her eyes.

"Yeah, "She muttered. They sat in silence for a moment.

The morning light was becoming more visible. Huey glanced at his phone: six forty. The school should be open to students by now. But he had a feeling, a feeling of not wanting to leave Jazmine just yet.

"I think you're fine just the way you are, "Huey finally said, breaking the awkward silence. Jazmine's heartbeat quickened at his words, "Really? "She asked. Huey nodded, "You're almost like me, "He gave her a half smile that sent electrifying bolts through her heart and into her veins, pulsing all over her body. She smiled warmly, "Thank you, "She said.

"No problem, "Huey shrugged. She was staring at him again, but he didn't mind it one bit.

Jazmine stood up, "We should be heading inside, "She suggested.

"Actually, I have to go find my brother, "Huey replied, standing with her. He grabbed his things and bent over to pick up hers.

She wore a pair of black flats with bows on them and black socks. She wore the Wuncler Academy school uniform instead of her cheer one, and had her afro up high on her head in her signature bun. Huey then saw something off about her eyes this time.

"What's in your eye? "He asked. Jazmine touched her face, "Oh! It's probably my contacts you're seeing, "Jazmine replied hesitantly, "I—I have glasses. "She admitted. "Glasses? I didn't know you wear glasses, "Huey tried to picture her with glasses, but he couldn't. Jazmine blushed, reaching into her purse and pulling out a hard, black case, "Yeah, I've had to wear glasses since I was a child. I got contacts my freshman year when I joined the cheer team. "

She opened the case and pulled out a pair of black glasses with large frames. She slowly and shakily put them on and pushed them up her face. She tried not to look directly into them, since she was wearing contacts. She quickly took them off and placed them back in their case, putting it back into her purse.

She turned back to Huey, and she could tell that he had been smiling, but had quickly turned back to a stoic expression…with the hint of a smile on his lips. He honestly thought that she looked even more beautiful with her glasses on.

"I wear my contacts more often because…, "She didn't want to admit it.

"Because…? "Huey prodded. Jazmine hung her head, "When I wore my glasses to school once because I was running late and didn't have time to put on my contacts, Veronica made fun of me. She called me a four eyed freak. "She waited for Huey to laugh, but he didn't.

"That's awful. What's her problem? "He was appalled.

"She likes to point out people's flaws, "Jazmine answered. Huey rolled his eyes, "Well, then she won't like me, "He said.

"Why not? "Jazmine arched a brow. She couldn't see anything wrong with him. Huey chuckled softly, "I wear retainers, "He replied simply, "I had braces in middle school and most of intermediate school. If you ask Riley, he'll tell you about the embarrassing pictures our Auntie took of me during those years. "Huey winced at the memories, "I only wear them at night now. "

"Oh, "Jazmine couldn't help but smile, "Veronica seems so perfect…it's nice to know that you're more like me than her. "

"No one's perfect, Jazmine, "Huey responded, "She's just very good at hiding her flaws. "Jazmine's face heated up; those were the words she had said to Cindy.

Students began pulling up to the school, "Well, I'll see you later, "Jazmine said, turning to walk away.

"I'll see you at the party? "Huey called after her. She stopped to look at him, "I thought you weren't going, "She replied. Huey shrugged, "Maybe I'll change my mind. "He winked at her. Jazmine's face turned a bright red as butterflies swarmed in her stomach. She flashed a smile at him and turned to race away into the school, of course, in search for Cindy.

* * *

Riley spotted Cindy during lunch.

She was sitting down in one of the booths by herself, eating a pizza and drinking a large bottle of lemonade. He jogged over to her and slid into the seat across from her, "Hey, "He said casually. Cindy giggled as she took another large bite, "What's up? "She asked.

"So, I think my gay ass brother has a thing for Jazmine, "Riley confessed, "Ain't y'all like best friends. "

"Yeah, we are, "Cindy smirked. She knew Huey had something for Jazmine, Riley was just confirming her beliefs, "Why are you telling me this? "She then asked. Riley drummed his fingers on the table, "Well, me and Huey are goin' to that chick's party…what's her name? "

"Veronica? "Cindy's eyes widened, "Why? "

"Dunno, Huey found me before first period and told me we're goin'. I think it's because of Jazmine. I saw them talking before school, "Riley replied. Cindy nodded, "She told me about that. "

"Then we gotta find out fosure what's goin' on, "Riley insisted, "Are you gonna go? "

Cindy grimaced, "I wasn't planning to. Jazmine's been beggin' me to go, she doesn't wanna be there by herself. "Cindy scratched her head, "I guess I can go then. "Riley gave her a million dollar smile, "Then you'll meet me there? "He asked hopefully.

Cindy nodded and took a sip from her lemonade. Riley loved how she had loose curls coming out of her pony tail that curled around her ears snugly. She had the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen, and when she laughed or smiled they twinkled like bright stars.

Cindy loved how Riley's half smile could make her stomach churn with excitement and wonder. She was so taken with Riley, more than she'd admit. There was something about this mocha colored boy that interested her, maybe it was because he was unlike anyone else at the school.

Riley coughed, "Oh, this isn't a date, "He said quickly. Cindy giggled again, "Oh, really? "She arched a brow playfully. Riley felt his face heat up and nodded, "Yeah, really, "He forced the words to come out, but what he really wanted to do was scream that he was almost asking her out on a date.

He pulled out his notebook and opened it, "What's that? "Cindy asked. Riley shrugged, "Some English work, "He replied. He offered it to Cindy, who took it from him without thinking. Suddenly, as she read, her b's d's and p's all looked the same, as did her g's and q's, along with her v's and w's. She struggled to read, and Riley could tell by her furrowed brow that something was wrong.

"Hey, are you okay? "He asked.

Cindy sighed and handed the notebook back to him, "Nah, I'm dyslexic, "She admitted openly, "It's hard for me to read. "

"Oh, "Riley replied quietly. "Well, there's nothin' wrong with that, "He assured her, "It's just a little flaw. "

"Yeah, not so little, "She huffed, "I can hardly read anything without getting mixed up. I have to have special tutors help me with my homework 'cause it'll take me hours to do it on my own. "Cindy felt utterly stupid against Riley, who could obviously read perfectly fine.

"There's nothing wrong with that Cin, "The nickname sent a chill down her spine; Cin. She liked it. Cindy smiled at him, "I'm sure you're just perfect, huh? "She asked. Riley laughed and shook his head, "Nah. You can't see it, but I have this freakishly large birthmark on my right leg. Dunno why, but it's white as hell, "He shrugged, "I've had it all my life. "

"Oh, that's not bad, "Cindy said, "Neither is your dyslexia, "He countered. Cindy couldn't contain the smile that spread across her face.

* * *

"So tonight, "Cindy and Jazmine were at the Wuncler mall. They were there to pick out something to wear for the party. Cindy had informed Jazmine that she was attending, but she hadn't told her about what she and Riley had talked about earlier at lunch. She didn't like to keep secrets from her, but she didn't want to spoil this in any way.

"We need something flawless, "Jazmine announced. They were looking at party dresses and skirts and flattering tops. Jazmine had to shop in the more petite section while Cindy had to go for the dresses made for taller girls. They had picked out several different dresses, but shelved them after trying them on. They were looking for something that said "wow".

"I hear Huey's going, "Cindy pointed out as casually as she could. Jazmine's face heated up, "Yeah, I know, "She smiled to herself while looking through a rack of blue dresses. Cindy pulled out a glittery red dress that had too much sequins on them. She put it back, "What exactly are we gonna do at her party? "She asked. Jazmine shrugged, "There's gonna be smoking, drinking, dancing, "She listed a few of the things she was aware of.

Drinking wasn't in Cindy's favor, but smoking sure as hell was. She couldn't help but smile, "Hopefully Veronica doesn't turn this into a huge mess, "She added. Jazmine nodded.

She knew that Veronica had a thing for Huey, but she couldn't help but like him, too. After the conversation they had earlier that morning, she was sure that Huey wasn't going to go towards Veronica any time soon. She knew that Veronica had probably already gone out and bought something extravagant, and deep down, she wanted to outshine her in front of Huey. It was wrong, but she wanted to be pretty for once.

Cindy suddenly gasped as she raced towards Jazmine, "Look! "She exclaimed. She held in her hand a hanger with a beautiful blue dress hanging from it. It was a form fitting dress, meaning it would hug her body. The color was almost the color of her eyes, and it had one strap. Jazmine gave her the thumbs up as Cindy bounced away to the fitting room nearby. She came back out a moment later in the dress.

It was beautiful against her skin, perfect for her. The dress hugged her in all the right places and stopped a few inches above her knees. There were a few sparkles here and there, just to make the dress come together, "What'cha think? "She asked. Jazmine was in awe, "Damn Cindy, wear that and you'll be the talk of the party! "

Cindy beamed, "Now I just need shoes, "She skipped back to the changing room. Jazmine was left by herself while Cindy changed, and she continued to search for the perfect dress. She picked through racks and looked at every dress she could find.

"Need any help? "Someone asked. Jazmine looked to her left and a woman in a uniform was standing there, a smile on her face. Jazmine nodded, exasperated, "Well, I'm going to a party tonight. It's like a back to school thing, but I can't find anything to wear. "She explained. The woman nodded, "Let's see what we can do. I'm Kirsten, by the way, if you need any more help after this. "

They walked from the pink section to the blue section, then past that into the purples. There were dresses in every shade.

"With your skin tone…I'd go with…, "She searched through the racks and pulled something out. It made Jazmine stop in her tracks.

It was a beautiful deep purple dress. It was short, maybe around Cindy's length, but it wasn't tight like her dress. The skirt portion was flowy and had another thin layer of cloth for extra flow. It had two straps and had a small dip in the front. When she turned the dress around, there was a deeper dip in the back.

"I love it, "She whispered. The woman smiled and handed it to her. "Go try it on, maybe I can help you…and your friend with some shoes. "Jazmine turned around to find Cindy behind her, dress in hand. She smiled at the two and skipped into the dressing rooms.

* * *

 **I've based many of the character's flaws on flaws that I have or flaws that the people I know have. You already know where Cindy's dyslexia came from, but many of my family members, including myself, wear glasses, and I recently got contacts. My mother & I have worn retainers for braces. Riley's birthmark is based off of my friend's. **

**xoxoxo, Queen**


	5. Low

**Happy New Years guys (:**

* * *

Huey and Riley pulled up into a large mansion, far from their own home. There were lights flashing inside the house, and dozens of other cars were parked outside. People were standing outside; the front door was wide open, allowing people to pass through. The party had barely started.

"Damn, this chick knows how to live, "Riley whistled as the got out of the car. He shoved his hands into the pocket of his hoodie. He wore his Timbs with dark denim jeans and a wife beater underneath his black hoodie. He felt more comfortable like this, in his own clothing, unlike in the school's uniform.

Huey also wore dark denim jeans, but he wore black Nikes and a dark grey button up shirt. He had wanted to look at least a little bit nice, since Jazmine would be here.

Veronica's house was huge. The entered through the front door and found themselves in a large foyer with a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It wasn't on, most of the lights in the house weren't on. Instead, strobe lights and multi colored lights flashed off and around throughout the home. There were people crammed together in the different rooms. A lot of the rooms had walls that were mainly windows, so you could see outside.

"Goals as fuck, "Riley mused. Huey knocked him upside the head, "C'mon, don't you wanna find your girlfriend? "He teased.

 _If things go good then you'll be leavin' with one._ Riley thought. But he couldn't help but smile when he thought about Cindy.

A lot of the girls there wore dresses that could barely cover up their ass. They were smoking and drinking and having a grand old time. Huey grabbed a beer from an ice box and took a small swig, "You gonna go find her? "He asked. Riley shrugged, "Nigga I can't even tell who's who, it's dark as hell in here. "

A few minutes later, people began clapping. There were more than when the two first arrived, so the applauding sounded like a thunderstorm. The two pushed their way through the crowd to see what was happening.

Veronica and Samantha were descending the stairs. Samantha wore a hot pink off the shoulder dress that was barely enough to cover herself. Veronica wore a black dress with a deep cut in the front that showed off a bit too much, and it was shorter than Samantha's. The two wore equally tall heels that were full of glitter and small diamonds.

Veronica waved to the crowd like a movie star to her fans. Huey rolled his eyes; she was the definition of attention seeker. But, he and Riley had to admit, she did look nice for the occasion.

Behind those two were the rest of the cheer team. Huey watched as they all came down, one by one. The last on caught his eye.

It was Jazmine. She wore a purple, flowy dress that complimented her skin color. Her hair was pulled up into her bun, but she wore a silver band around the base of the bun with small diamonds on it. She wore silver strappy heels that made her slightly taller. She made it to the bottom of the stairs.

"We, as your hostesses, hope you all have a wonderful time! "Veronica exclaimed. The crowd cheered and the party continued.

The boys watched as Jazmine walked away. Riley searched for her; wherever she was going, she must've been headed towards Cindy. Huey gestured for Riley to follow him. However, a few steps later, Huey found himself face to face with Veronica.

Veronica was standing with Samantha. They were blocking the boys' way, "Hi Huey! "Veronica chirped. Samantha looked Riley up and down, "Hey Riley, "She smiled. Riley gulped awkwardly, "Um, hi, "He said. Huey sighed, slightly annoyed, "Hello Veronica, "He clicked his tongue, "I'm so glad you came! "She went on, "Are you enjoying yourself? "

"Yeah, "Huey took another sip from his beer, "Excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom, "He lied. Riley joined him, "I'm gon' go grab me a smoke, "He added. Veronica and Samantha watched them slip into the crowd, "We have to up our game, "Samantha pointed out.

"I know, "Veronica huffed, "Fucking Jazmine and Cindy have them nearly wrapped around their fingers. "

Meanwhile, Jazmine had found Cindy sitting outside, smoking already, "Jesus Cindy, can you not smoke at least once at a party? "She asked playfully. Cindy shook her head as she let out the smoke, "Nah, weed's my second best friend, "

Jazmine giggled. She sat down next to her, "Have you seen them? "She asked. Cindy shook her head. She was anxious; she and Riley had planned on trying to get Huey and Jazmine together. She was also hoping that maybe Riley would develop feelings for her, and that they might eventually become a couple. But then again, she didn't know if she was Riley's type.

Riley lost his brother in the crowd. Annoyed, he followed the smell of weed until he was outside. He scanned his surroundings. He was on the biggest back porch he'd ever seen. There were couches and tables and chairs and a bar to the side. Further back was actual grass surrounding a huge pool with a hot tub. Behind that was some kind of gazebo with a lot of land to run around in.

He turned to his right and spotted them.

He made his way over, pushing past people until he was able to get Cindy's attention. Seeing her made his heart leap and his palms sweat.

"Hey Riley, "Cindy smiled. Jazmine turned around and gave Riley a smile as well, "Hey, oh Jazmine, Huey's looking for you, "He gave Cindy a wink as Jazmine looked past him, "Really? Where is he? "She asked. He turned around, "Dunno, lost him in the crowd over there, "He pointed inside the house. Jazmine looked at Cindy, who gave her a supportive nod.

Jazmine stood up and hoofed it back into the house in search of Huey.

Riley sat down next to Cindy on her right side, "Hopefully they can start somethin', "He said. Cindy chuckled. She noticed him staring at her blunt. Casually, she lifted it and offered it to him, "Want some? "She asked. Riley flashed her a heart throbbing grin and took it from her, inhaling deeply.

Nervously, she leaned in a little closer to him. In response, he picked up his left arm and allowed Cindy to rest her head in the crook of his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and rubbed her upper arm softly. Cindy could smell his cologne from where she was. The butterflies in her stomach were threatening to burst at any moment. Riley couldn't believe what he was doing; he actually was holding Cindy.

Samantha spotted the pair not too far away and growled in jealousy. Suddenly, she had an idea. Smiling mischievously, she backed away.

* * *

Huey had lost Riley a few minutes prior and was wandering aimlessly through the mansion, bumping into people as he went. He was already halfway done with his beer.

Jazmine spotted him in the crowd. She pushed past people to get towards him, "Huey! "She called out. Huey whirled around to see Jazmine making her way towards him. With a grin he made his way towards her, saying "excuse me" so many times it hurt.

Just as the two neared each other and were in arm's reach, he felt something slam into his body and he struggled against the weight.

"Ah! Ow! "The person yelped.

Veronica had fallen into him oh so gracefully, nearly knocking him down. Jazmine approached the two, "Veronica, are you okay? "She asked, helping her stand up straight, "Oh! I think I sprained my ankle! "She said, limping slightly.

"What happened? "Jazmine asked, "I think my heel gave out and I fell! "Veronica exclaimed dramatically. Huey groaned inwardly and sighed, "Well, um, here, I'll help you find a seat, "He turned to Jazmine, "You wanna stay here or come with? "

"I'll wait here, "She whispered to him. He smiled and winked at her before turning back to Veronica, "C'mon, this way, "He said. He let Veronica lean on him as they headed towards the back of the house, where some chairs were set up. Jazmine huffed, "Damn it, "She muttered.

Huey pulled up a chair for Veronica and helped her sit down, "Well, um, here. I have to go find Jazmine, "He said.

"Wait! Don't leave! "She cried out, grabbing his arm, "I don't know where Samantha is! "

"Can't you call her? "Huey really didn't want to stay with this white drama queen, but she was making up every excuse in the book.

"Don't you wanna stay for a moment? "Veronica asked innocently. Huey looked into her eyes and could tell that she was faking it, but he didn't want to say anything just yet.

"Well, I did leave Jazmine out there, I really have to go get her, "Huey replied as politely as he could. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she was not happy with his reply, but he really didn't care.

Veronica was really trying hard; she didn't understand why Huey wanted a girl like Jazmine instead of a girl like her. But she shook it off; she still had a few more tricks up her sleeve, "Come here, I need to tell you something. "She said with a sly smile.

Hesitantly, he leaned inwards, "Huh? "He asked. Suddenly, Veronica had leaned forward and tried to kiss him, but she only succeeded in grazing his lips as he pulled back, his face redder than a tomato, "Whoa, um, I have to go, "He said quickly, turning to leave. _Damn bitch! What the hell?_ But as he turned around, he spotted Jazmine.

Veronica smirked. _At least she'll be out of the way._

Jazmine couldn't believe what she just saw. Huey had kissed Veronica.

Huey set his beer down as she started to back away. He followed her, "Jazmine, wait! "He called out. Jazmine didn't want to hear it, she turned a corner and smacked into someone, "Ow, hey watch it! "The person barked. Jazmine gulped and backed away, making a feeble apology as she did so. She backed right into Huey.

"I can't believe you did that! "She hissed angrily, pushing him away, "I thought you didn't like her! "

"I don't Jazmine, swear on my mother's grave she kissed me, "He promised. He didn't like to use his parent's in anything, but he needed her to believe him. Jazmine crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot pointedly. She knew she shouldn't be mad at him; they weren't even a thing. But still, she felt like after their talk earlier that morning that he wouldn't be like…this. The typical guy that fell for Veronica's charms.

"I don't like her in the slightest, "Huey repeated. He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him, allowing a group of teens to pass by, "Promise, "He leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead. Jazmine's face heated up instantly and she grinned. She thought that maybe this was a little too fast, but she didn't care. It was just a kiss on the forehead, anyways. It was small.

Huey wrapped his arm around her, "C'mon, I need to find my dumbass brother. "

"He's with Cindy, "Jazmine said. She grabbed his hand and led him towards the back.

Samantha had found Veronica inside. She was sitting by herself looking rather annoyed. Veronica had told her about her almost-kiss with Huey, but that he had run off after Jazmine. Samantha then told Veronica about her plan.

The two stood outside, a few feet from where Riley and Cindy were at. They were both still smoking a shared blunt, laughing and talking through the night. Veronica could see that both of them had moderately red eyes.

"You ready? "Samantha asked. Veronica nodded, "Let's go. "

They casually walked through the crowd, smiling at people and greeting them as they did so. Then, Veronica rushed over to Cindy and grabbed her by the arm, "Cindy, Jazmine's looking for you! "And she pulled her up, causing her to drop the blunt.

"Whoa, wait! "Riley leaned down to pick it up while still holding on to Cindy's wrist. Veronica tugged once and caused Riley to lose his grip. He sat back for a moment, taking in what had just happened. Then, he felt something sit down next to him. He turned his head to find Samantha.

"Whoa, what are you doing? "He asked, scooting away. Samantha only clicked her tongue, "I'm just keeping you company, "She replied. Riley gave her a look, "Look, I'm high, but I'm not that high. Where did Veronica take Cindy? "

"I don't know, "Samantha mused, leaning back against the couch. She took the blunt from Riley and took a long puff, "I see you like to smoke, "She commented. Riley glared at her, "Yeah, I do. "He replied. He grabbed the blunt from her, "Where's Cindy? "He asked again. Samantha huffed, "She'll be back after she deals with Jazmine, "She lied. Riley arched a brow that sent chills down her spine.

Veronica had shoved Cindy into another seat inside. There was nobody around here; not that anyone would save Cindy from Veronica anyways, "Listen bitch, I need you to do something for me, "She instructed. Cindy chortled, "Like I'd ever do you a favor! "

Veronica knew how much Cindy hated her, but she didn't care, "I need Huey away from Jazmine, and you're going to help me. "She ordered. Cindy rolled her eyes, "And why the hell would I do that? "She asked, "I'm not ya best friend, go get Samantha to help yo desperate ass. "

Veronica chuckled and tossed her blonde hair behind her, "You're going to help me, even if you don't want to. "She pulled out her cell phone and turned it on. After a moment of clicking, she showed Cindy the screen. Cindy's face turned bright red, "Wh-where did you get that? "She asked, reaching out to take the phone from her. Veronica pulled her hand back, "Oh, I have my ways, "She smirked. She could tell she was pushing a few buttons.

"Listen, help me with Jazmine, and I'll make sure that this doesn't get sent to everyone in the school…including Riley. "Veronica threatened.

"Wow, threatening me into helping you, "Cindy spat, "Such a classy move, Veronica. "

"Well, looks like you have no choice, "She scoffed. She turned around, "Deal? "

"I don't know, "Cindy rubbed her arm. Veronica chuckled evilly, "I'll let you think about it, "She started to walk away, waving, "Oh, and I'd go find Riley if I were you. God knows what Samantha's doing. "

Remembering him, Cindy shot up and dashed outside. However, she found Riley not with Samantha, but with Huey and Jazmine. Riley stood up as she rushed over to him, "C'mon, let's bounce. I'm tired of this party, "He muttered. He grabbed her hand and started marching away. Jazmine looked at Huey, "I don't know if I can leave, "She said. Huey shrugged, "Veronica won't notice; she can't notice anything but herself. "

The comment made Jazmine smile, so she followed her companions outside to Huey's car, where they all hopped in and drove away.

* * *

"And then that bitch had the balls to try and seem cool by taking a puff, "Riley exclaimed, opening his arms wide in exaggeration. Cindy, Huey, and Jazmine laughed along with him. It was nearly nine thirty. After leaving the party, Riley had announced that he was hungry, prompting Cindy and Jazmine to agree. Huey had driven them to the nearest Denny's and they got a booth near the back, beside a window.

"Swear, Samantha doesn't know how to smoke, "Cindy rolled her eyes, "She probably got lucky on the first try. "

Cindy and Riley sat together on one side while Huey and Jazmine sat together on the other. They had actually ordered food and drinks, and were currently waiting for their meals. They slurped on their drinks while they waited, "Veronica seems desperate, "Huey commented. His words perked up Jazmine's ears.

"What she do? "Riley asked.

"She happened to fall on me while I was with Jazmine and said she had a sprained ankle, "Huey explained. Cindy rolled her eyes, "That bitch was fine when she pulled me from Riley. "Cindy nervously tapped her fingers on the seat. She hadn't told the group about what Veronica had said, or threatened, and she wasn't planning to.

"Typical hoe, "Riley scoffed, "Bitches like that were always around us back in Chicago. "

The girls gave them looks, "What do you mean? "Jazmine asked. Riley realized that he shouldn't have told them that, because now they were curious about their life back in Chicago. Riley gulped, "Well, I mean nothin', "He tried to play it off, but the look Cindy gave him told him he had backed himself into a pretty tight corner.

"So, how were the girls back home? "Jazmine asked. Huey shrugged, "Annoying. They weren't white, that's for sure. "

"Hell nah they weren't, "Riley cracked a small smile that Cindy saw, "And is being white a bad thing? "She asked accusingly. She was also referring to herself being white. Riley immediately shook his head, "No! Hell no Cindy, nothin's wrong with that! "He looked at Huey, who shook his head.

"Well what's so different about them being not white? "Jazmine asked. Huey and Riley glanced at each other, daring each other to say something. There was a moment of incredibly awkward silence, "Well, they were easy, "Huey finally said. Jazmine arched a brow, "Easy? "

Cindy silently groaned. Jazmine was more naïve than she looked, "They were like whores, Jaz. Easy to get into bed with, "She gave the boys harsh glares. Jazmine's face turned red as she looked down into her cup, "Oh, "She murmured. This was new; she had no idea that Huey could be like that. Maybe he was like every other boy at the Academy. Cindy was starting to think the same.

Huey and Riley sensed the tension coming from the girls. Huey gave Riley a death glare, as if to say way-to-go-now-they're-gonna-ask-us-more-questions. "Did…did you ever sleep with anybody? "Jazmine asked quietly. Huey really wanted to say no.

"I'm not gonna lie Jazmine…yeah, I did, "He rubbed the back of his neck. Riley had to look away, "Yeah, "Was his answer. Cindy sighed. So they had slept with other girls before. Well, this was no big deal to her, as long as it stayed in the past. But the look on Jazmine's face read insecurities.

Jazmine was already insecure enough. Cindy had to admit, she was insecure a lot at times too. But this news probably hurt Jazmine a lot more; now she had to think about how those girls looked like compared to her. If they all had something similar that Jazmine didn't possess, did that mean she wasn't Huey's type? Cindy couldn't help but wonder the same thing.

Jazmine didn't even want to know what those girls looked like.

The waitress came over with their food and set down their plates, "Enjoy, "She said in a raspy voice. The boys smiled at her as she walked away.

Jazmine and Cindy picked up their forks and began to eat in silence. Huey glared at Riley from across the table as he ate, telling him that he had made a mistake in bringing that up. Riley knew that he shouldn't have said that, but there was no taking it back now.

After they had finished, they paid and left a tip, piling into the car and driving back home. Cindy was a bit more talkative that Jazmine, at least.

Huey sighed. This was going to be a long drive home.

* * *

 **Hope y'all enjoy**

 **xoxo, Queen**


	6. Two Dates

**Hope y'all are having a good day**

* * *

The girls didn't really talk to them the next day. Sunday, however, Jazmine woke up and groggily made her way downstairs, where it was empty. There was a note on her kitchen table. It was from her mother. She left a note telling Jazmine that her father was at work and she was going to be out for a while. Jazmine sighed; alone again.

She grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and sat down on the couch, turning the TV on. Cindy was at work; her mother had made her get a weekend job in order to pay for her smoking habits and whatnot. This left Jazmine alone, but only during the mornings. Cindy normally returned home just after noon. She glanced at her phone: seven forty. She had a few hours to kill until then.

She tapped her foot on the floor anxiously. She was dying to do something. Grabbing a sweater, she slipped on her fuzzy slippers and opened the front door, walking right outside. The morning air was crisp against her face, and it felt good. She breathed in the scent of dewy grass and watched as a few butterflies twirled around. It was a rather peaceful morning.

She felt her phone buzz in her hand. She looked at it. It was a text message…from Huey. She slapped her forehead; she'd forgotten that she'd given him her number a day or two previous. She read the text.

 **From Huey: Hey, how's it going?**

Jazmine couldn't help but smile as she wrote a reply. Huey would ask a simple question like that, he didn't seem to be one for starting a conversation anyways.

 **To Huey: I'm fine. What about you?**

Huey's phone chimed. He picked it up and read it. It was a reply from Jazmine. He felt awkward talking to her, after what had happened Friday, he didn't really know how to proceed. It felt weird for her to be tripping about girls from the past, but he had a feeling it was because of her obvious insecurities.

 **To Jazmine: I'm fine too. I was just wondering what you're doing.**

Jazmine headed back inside as she texted back. She kicked off her shoes and shimmied her jacket off and flopped down on the couch.

 **To Huey: Nothing really. My mom and dad aren't here & Cindy is at work. **

Huey read her text and replied with a bold proposition. His fingers shook slightly as he typed the words out and sent the message.

 **To Jazmine: Want some company?**

Jazmine bit her bottom lip.

 **To Huey: Sure (:**

She quickly typed in her address. Huey replied by saying he'd be there in five. Five normally meant five minutes, and Jazmine wasn't too sure if he'd actually be there in five minutes. She placed her phone down and headed upstairs, hopping into the shower for a minute before quickly jumping back out. She stared at herself in the mirror while she brushed her teeth, directly at her glasses. She pulled on some clothes and began mangling with her hair. She glanced at her alarm clock. It had been about five minutes.

Her doorbell rang.

 _Shit!_ She hurriedly threw her hair up into a pony tail and rushed downstairs. She looked through the small hole in the door. It was Huey.

 _When he said five minutes, he meant five minutes._

She opened the door, revealing Huey, who wore a pair of cargo shorts and a black t-shirt with another pair of Nikes, this time grey. Jazmine realized that she must've looked like a mess; she had on sweats and a blue tank top with a bright pink bra underneath. Her hair was still fairly wet and she was still wearing her glasses. She touched her face; no makeup.

"That was fast, "She said, letting him in. Huey smirked, "I said five minutes, didn't I? Besides, you live down the street from me. "

"I do? "She quirked her eyebrow up, earning a faint laugh from Huey, "Yeah. I looked up your address on Google Maps and you were down the street. "She shut the door, "Oh. "

She led him into the living room, where he sat down next to her. The TV was already on, but she offered the remote to him, "Wanna pick? "She asked. He shook his head, "You go ahead. "So, she flipped on to TLC, where Say Yes to the Dress was on. It was a rerun, but Jazmine stuck with it anyways.

She felt awkward in front of Huey, mainly because she was wearing her glasses. She hardly ever stood face to face with people in her glasses. The only people who ever saw her in glasses were her mom and dad and Cindy. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, like she was trying to protect herself.

Huey couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful she looked, and forced himself to not turn to look at her. He knew that if he did, he'd probably keep looking and make the situation even more awkward and strange.

"So…how was it in Chicago? "Jazmine asked, breaking the silence. Huey groaned inwardly. Of all the questions in the world, she had to ask this one. She was probably leading up to the ultimate question about what they had discussed Friday night at Denny's. That in itself was bad, but this was too much.

"Um, it was alright, "Huey shrugged, "I do miss my friends, like my best friend Cairo, "

"Were y'all really close? "Jazmine asked. Huey nodded, "Yeah, we'd been best friends since children. We grew up in the same neighborhood and met in elementary school. Riley tried to befriend him, too, but Riley was too young for us I guess. "Huey shrugged, "He just couldn't keep up. "

"Keep up? "Jazmine inquired.

Huey nodded, "Yeah, well, we grew up learning how to fend for ourselves. Our parents were always working and we weren't living with granddad at the time, so it was just me and Riley. Riley became more of a street thug than anything. He hung out with all the gangs in our area. I actually liked school, no matter how much the teachers annoyed me. "Huey chuckled at the memories, "Cairo and I used to pretend we were saving the world, "The imagination Huey once possessed was amazing.

"Well, what happened? "Jazmine asked. Huey's face darkened, "I guess we just grew up. "He muttered. Jazmine knew that there was something he wasn't telling her, but she didn't want to seem nosy. It was none of her business anyways. She decided to change the subject.

"I know this is kind of personal, but I was just wondering…, "She began.

 _Oh great, the question._ Huey thought. He sucked in a breath slowly, "Yeah? "He nodded his head, "You can ask. "

Jazmine gulped nervously, "Friday, you and Riley mentioned a few things about home…, "

"Jazmine, that's a little too personal, "Huey interrupted her, causing her to clamp her mouth shut. She just nodded, "Yeah, I figured, sorry, "She murmured. She turned her attention back to the TV. She had no right to ask him a question like that, even though it was burning in her mind. Huey wasn't even her boyfriend, he was just her friend. A friend that she had met only a few days previous in school. That's all he was, a friend.

Huey felt awful. He hadn't meant to shut Jazmine down like that, but he didn't know if he should tell her anything about his life back in Chicago, at least that aspect of it. He knew she was curious and naïve, but he didn't want too much revealed just yet.

Jazmine's phone buzzed. She looked at it and groaned.

"What is it? "Huey asked.

She blew a curl out of her face, "Its Veronica. I have extra practice tomorrow since I left her party early, "She set her phone down and leaned back into the couch. Huey only shook his head, "She really does have a few issues. "

Jazmine shrugged, "Well, at least more practice means I have a better chance at making head cheerleader next year. "

Huey couldn't help but smile when she turned her head away. She could always find the good in everything; maybe that was why he was so attracted to her.

* * *

"Cynthia, put your phone up! "A lady barked. She was dressed in a blue shirt with khakis and had on a baseball cap. She was older and had grey hairs popping out. Her back was slightly humped and her face was twisted into an angry grimace, probably glued onto her face forever.

Cindy only snapped out of her trance, eyes focusing on her, and nodded, "Yes ma'am, "She muttered, pocketing her phone.

This was the second time that day she'd been caught on her phone. Normally she could get by, but today was different. She just had to stop racking shoes and counting how many pairs of socks they had in storage to take a look at a text from Riley.

The two had actually been texting since Friday night, when he'd given her his number. They texted most of Saturday, and well into the night. Cindy hadn't told Jazmine yet about her and Riley, but she was planning to the next day at school. Today, her boss had caught her in the storage room of Foot Locker while she was supposed to be looking for a certain size eight shoe for a customer.

"Keep this up and you won't have a job anymore! "The woman clucked. Cindy rolled her eyes when she turned her back to her, "And clean up this mess! "She gestured to the scattered boxes of shoes on the floor. Cindy sighed and grabbed the pair she had originally came for and made her way into the main area, handing the shoes to another coworker than took them to a customer. She headed back into the storage room to clean up.

Her phone buzzed again. She looked around. Her boss had disappeared into the break room and hopefully would stay in there. For extra precautions, Cindy crawled behind a shoe rack packed with boxes, taking a few discarded ones with her to make it look like she was working.

Once safely hidden, she pulled out her phone.

 **From Riley: Wyd now?**

Cindy groaned and replied.

 **To Riley: Still workin. Boutta get off my shift.**

Riley sighed. He really wanted to see Cindy again. After Friday, Riley had a feeling that Cindy didn't mind about his past. He liked that about her; nothing in the past affected her, but he knew he couldn't bring any of that shit up in the present.

 **To Cindy: You down after work?**

 **From Cindy: Yes.**

Riley began making fists bumps in the air. He was laying on his bed, still not dressed. He didn't know when she was going to get off work, but he hoped it was soon. He wanted to get a ride over there, but Huey had left a while ago to go see Jazmine. That reminded him, he needed to talk to Cindy about that. But, he'd do that once they were face to face.

Cindy pushed her phone into her pocket and shelved a few boxes just as her boss came back around to check on her. She made a grunting noise at the sight of Cindy. "Well, at least you're working for once, "Her boss grumbled, annoyed. She turned and walked away back into the break room. Cindy leaned against the shelves and sighed.

Her phone buzzed again. She took it out and read the text.

 **From Riley: I'm gonna take a nap. See you later.**

 **To Riley: Laters. I get out at 12. Don't forget!**

Riley leaned back against his bed and made himself comfortable. It was about to be nine, so he had at least an hour or two to rest until he got to see Cindy.

Just as he made himself comfortable, the door to his room burst open, slamming against the wall, and made him jump. He banged his head against the wall behind him and yelped, "Nigga! "

Huey looked like he'd just run a marathon. He was sweaty and red in the face, "Nigga, what's gotten into you? "Riley demanded, rubbing his head. Huey dropped onto the bed, lying on his back, and stared up at the ceiling. "I think I just fucked up, "He said.

Riley arched his brow, "What? "He asked, "With what? "

"With Jazmine! "Huey exclaimed, like it was the most obvious thing ever. Riley rolled his eyes, "Nigga, what'chu do? "He asked. Huey groaned, "I shut her down. She asked me a question about the topic on Friday, and I completely shut her down! "

Riley slapped his forehead with his hand, "Youse a dumbass bitch, "He said. Huey groaned again, "I know, "

"You ain't lost her, you just did a bitch move, "Riley concluded, "All ya gotta do is come clean. "

"Riley, I've only known her for a few days, "Huey argued, "I feel like I'm moving in too fast or something, I don't want to jump into a relationship, "

"Then don't, but don't leave that bitch hanging, "Riley shot back, "Just don't fucking talk about that goddamn conversation ever again, aight? Maybe she'll forget. "

"That's stupid, "Huey replied, "Girls don't forget anything. Riley chuckled, "True. Then yo ass is done for. "Huey grabbed a discarded pillow from off the floor and threw it at his brother, annoyed. Girls never seemed to forget anything, honestly. It was like some kind of super power.

"What did y'all do? "Riley asked. Huey shrugged, "We watched some TV. Her mom and dad weren't there and-, "

"You didn't fuck her, did you? "Riley blurted. Huey's face heated up and he shook his head, "Fuck you Riley! "He shot back, "Jazmine's not like that. I don't want to pressure her into anything okay? "

"Well damn, Huey Freeman, you loooove her! "Riley cooed and laughed. Huey gave him a look, "Well what about you and Cindy? "Huey asked, "Y'all seem to get along like y'all gonna get married, "Riley's face turned red as well and rolled his eyes, "I dunno bro, "He admitted, "I mean, I do like her, but…, "

"What's the problem? "Huey arched a brow.

"She's a year older than me, "Riley said, "She'll graduate before me. What if when she gets out there she finds someone else? "

Huey was quiet for a moment. "I mean, if she really likes you she'll wait until you graduate too. It's only a year, "Huey shrugged. Riley sucked in some air, "Well 'scuse me cause I'm gonna take a nap. I'm meeting up with Cindy at noon, and I don't wanna be tired or nothing. "He said.

Huey chuckled, "Well damn, going on a date huh? "He teased. Riley's face burned as he forced Huey to stand up and pushed him out of his room, "Nigga stay back already! "Riley warned, "Don't worry bout it! "And he slammed the door to his room shut, leaving Huey in the hallway.

* * *

Riley met Cindy right after twelve, just like he promised. He waited for her outside of Foot Locker, and she came out just like she said she would. She was wearing a pair of black leggings and an oversized shirt with some flats and her hair was messily put up into a bun. She carried a purse and a large plastic bag. He approached her and smiled, "I didn't know ya could wear that to work, "He said. Cindy rolled her eyes, "C'mon, I'm starving. "

The two found seats in the busy food court at the center of the mall. They had grabbed some food from a Chinese restraint and ate contently.

"So, guess what? "Riley began a conversation. Cindy arched a brow, "Huh? "She asked while taking a sip of her Coke.

"Huey came home earlier…from Jazmine's place. "Riley leaned back as Cindy nearly spit out her drink and she coughed, "He did what now?! "She nearly screamed. Riley chuckled as he took a napkin and wiped whatever drink she had managed to get on him.

Realizing what she had done, Cindy's face instantly turned red. She grabbed a few more napkins and awkwardly tried to help clean up the table. She mentally cursed herself for being such an idiot and prayed that he wouldn't bring this up ever again. Once they were situated, she spoke again in a calmer manner, "You said Huey went to Jaz's place? "

"Yeah, "Riley nodded, "He came home crying and shit about him fucking up with her. "

"What? "Cindy gave him a look and he cleared his throat, "She brought up a certain topic that Huey didn't know how to answer. "

Cindy groaned and felt her stomach drop. Jazmine would pick the most awkward topic as a conversation starter. She could only imagine how strange the atmosphere would've been after Jazmine bringing something like that up, "So, he thinks his chances with her are gone? "

"I dunno about that, "Riley replied, "He just thinks they've gotten worse. "He smirked at her facial expressions.

Cindy didn't want their sole reason for meeting each other to be about them planning for Huey and Jazmine's future relationship. Well, she wanted their little date to be about _them._ So, she changed the subject.

"How was life back in Chicago? "She asked smoothly. Riley made a weird face and shrugged, "It was pretty alright. We had our local gangs and shit, but Huey wasn't into that. "

"Oh? "

"Yeah, he was all about reading and bullshit like that. I've never been one for school, but I went anyways, "Riley went on, thinking, "I never had real friends though. My only friends were the ones I had in gangs. Huey at least had Cairo while we were living there. "

"You never told me why y'all moved? "Cindy said casually.

Riley's brow furrowed and she could tell she'd struck a nerve. There was a moment of silence where Riley just stared down at the food on the table, not making a sound. Cindy tried to play it off with another question, "W-well how are you liking it here? "She then asked.

Riley still didn't reply, until finally, he glanced up at her and smirked, "A lot better than Chicago, "He said.

Cindy felt relieved that he was back to normal, but she still couldn't shake off the feeling she got whenever she asked about why they'd moved. Something told her that it was probably too personal to talk about, but now she was curious. She had that whoa feeling, like his reaction just took her aback.

But Riley seemed totally fine now. So, they continued on with their conversation, changing the subject every once in a while. But Cindy's mind constantly reverted back to her questions about his past…maybe there were some things she just couldn't know about him.

* * *

 **I'm gonna be busy for a while guys, but I wanted to get something out.**

 **xoxoxo, Queen**


	7. On An Impulse

**I'm back guys! So sorry for not updating in a while, it's been pretty busy for me. Here's another chapter to keep y'all entertained or sum.**

* * *

Cindy was back in Riley's arms. Their surroundings completely melted away as he held her, smoking a joint and staring at her. She felt exposed, really exposed. But it was a good feeling, strangely. She had the urge to talk to him, to tell him her deepest fears and thoughts. She wanted to trust him, and the butterflies in her stomach swarmed as he leaned down ever so slightly. She couldn't help but lean upwards and their foreheads touched.

He opened his mouth slightly and it made her squirm with excitement as he kissed her gently, for the first time. Fireworks went off in her head and she prayed that it wouldn't end.

WHAM!

Cindy got knocked in the arm with a basketball, sending her down. Once on the ground, she had to blink a few times before realizing what was going on. She was at school, in her basketball class, but she had totally spaced out. She was too busy thinking about Riley to play the game.

She laid there for a moment longer while her teammates swarmed around her. Finally, she pushed herself up into a sitting position just as her coach knelt beside her, "Damn McPhearson, are you alright? "She asked.

Her coach was a middle aged woman with bright red hair that could shoot hoops quicker and better than any of the actual team members. Cindy nodded at her and allowed herself to be picked up. Her coach patted her arm, "Hit the showers girl, we're almost done anyways. "

Cindy didn't argue, she just nodded and sauntered away, the stinging in her arm subsiding. She caught the attention of the other girls; some were laughing at her or sneering. Cindy was by far the best player on the team. For her to mess up really said something. They knew something was up.

She hopped into one of the showers in the locker room and sighed as the scalding water hit her skin. After a quick minute, she hopped back out and dried herself off. Using the air driers, she began to dry her hair, like how they all did, since none of them ever brought blow dryers. Within minutes her hair was semi-dry, enough for her to pull up into a messy bun. She pulled on her underwear and bra and was doing her makeup when the other girls walked in.

She ignored them all when they passed by, finishing off her look and pulling on her uniform. She addressed her hair, brushing it and tying it back into a simple pony tail.

The other girls stared at her. They all knew that she was hanging out with Riley Freeman, considered now to be one of the baddest boys in school, if not the ultimate bad boy ever. He was the class prankster, the boy who was constantly in the office, and he sure as hell signed his graffiti every time, even though it meant him getting in trouble.

Cindy stuffed her gear into her locker, grabbed her purse, and slammed the locker door shut. The other girls watched her walk out of the locker room, still in her own thoughts, and then began to whisper about her as she left. Cindy knew they would, but she didn't stop them. She only rolled her eyes as she entered the hallway.

But someone was already there waiting for her.

Riley flashed her a large grin and playfully slung his arm around her, causing her to turn red and smile. As they walked together down the hall, she could feel the eyes of the other students on them and she felt more uncomfortable, but she waved it off. Nothing was going to stand between her and him.

"Oh Riley! "

Well, except one particular cheerleader.

Samantha was on the two quicker than Cindy could register the action. She had bumped in between the two of them, knocking Cindy to the side. Cindy had half the mind to start beating on her right then and there, but she stopped when Riley shook his head at her, telling her no. Cindy regained her composure and cast Samantha evil looks as she continued to walk in between the two of them.

"So Riley, I've been looking for you! "Samantha said cheerfully. Riley stayed monotone, "Yeah, why? "He asked.

Cindy knew that Samantha probably didn't even remember that she was there.

"Well, there's something I needed to ask you…, "Samantha glanced over at Cindy, making her blood boil, "But I'll ask you later. "

Riley only nodded, "Yeah, sure, "

Cindy rolled her eyes as Samantha murmured something to Riley and bounced away. Cindy gave him a look, "What? "He asked. "I didn't know you…had a thing for a ditsy cheerleader like her, "Cindy said accusingly.

Riley rolled his eyes this time, "Calm down, "He said. Cindy only glared at him some more. But she glanced at him again. She still had that weird feeling that she felt when they went on their little date. Cindy was, with no doubt, curious about Riley, but she was also curious about Huey, too.

And she knew someone else would agree with her.

* * *

"Yo man, I'm thinking about askin' her out, "Riley said to Huey. They were grabbing a bite together after school at some popular chicken place. Huey got the plainest salad he could while Riley went all out with chicken.

"Yeah, I know what you mean, "Huey said, "There's this homecoming thing coming up, I've been thinking about asking Jazmine to go with me. "

"Wait a sec; you at a dance?! "Riley busted out laughing, causing several of the customers to stare at them, "Nigga I've never even see yo karate ass bust a move at a family reunion! "Riley was nearly crying as he grabbed his stomach and bucked over slightly.

Huey glared at him, "I don't know if I can dance dumbass, "He muttered, "But I know she can. "

"Huh, maybe I'll ask Cin out to homecoming too, I can watch yo dumbass make a fool of yourself. "Riley chuckled some more as Huey leaned over the table to back hand him. He missed as Riley ducked out of the way, "I can just learn, "Huey said defensively. Riley snorted.

The door to the fast food place opened and the person caught his eye.

A rather tall black guy came strolling in. He had dreads that hung down to his shoulders and a playful smile on his face. He wore a gray shirt and baggy jeans that hung low like Riley's. His black and white Nikes looked fresh out of the box. He wore sunglasses that were perched on top of his head, like he had pushed them back. He casually walked up to the register. The woman behind it giggled girlishly.

"Back again? "She asked, "I thought you've only been here for a day! "

"Yeah, but unloading boxes makes ya hungry, "He replied with an accented voice. Huey was kind of surprised; had had hardly seen any black people in the area, besides a picture of Jazmine's father from her house and one of the employees who had escaped to the back of the joint.

"I'll take a number one, "He went on. He paid for his food and got a number and a cup. Huey watched him walk over to the soda fountain to grab his drink. Riley, finally noticing, turned around and spotted the boy, "Aye, who's that? "Riley asked.

Huey shrugged, "Dunno. The lady said she'd seen him before. "He replied. Riley shrugged, "Eat yo goddamn food nigga I wanna go home, "He ordered. Huey arched a brow, "Since when have I ever taken orders from you? "

"Whoa man, nice 'fro, "The accented voice asked. Huey turned around to face the boy, who towered over him as he sat. Feeling rather awkward, Huey stood up, matching his height, "I've never seen you here before, "Huey said casually. Riley snickered.

"Yeah man, I just moved here today, "The boy replied. He extended his free hand, "My name's Michael Caesar, but I got by Caesar. "

Huey took it, "I'm Huey, and this is my brother Riley. "He gestured to Riley, who nodded his head at Caesar. Caesar nodded back, "We've only been here a while, too, "Huey added, "We moved from Chicago. "

"Naw man, foreal? "Caesar sounded impressed, "I moved here from Brooklyn. "

"Word, "Riley said, taking a sip from his drink. Caesar laughed, "I'm a junior this year, but my moms and pops told me I'm attending some white school…Wuncler Academy? "He scratched his head. Huey was shocked, "We go there too, "He replied. He pulled up a chair for Caesar to sit down on, and he happily obliged.

"So, what's the word around here? "Caesar asked, "I've never been to an all-white school before. "

"Neither had we before moving here, "Riley commented, "It's annoying as hell. Everybody got some petty shit to be mad about. "

Huey rolled his eyes, "Like you're any better. "

"Nigga shut up, "Riley shot back, furrowing his brow. Caesar chuckled at the two as his food was brought to him by the same woman from the register. She smiled at him sweetly before walking back to her post.

"But nah, foreal, ain't nothing really happening here, "Riley shrugged, "Except for some homecoming shit or whatever. "

"Ah man, homecoming was always amazing back home, "Caesar whistled. He began to eat his food, "I wonder what it's like here. But I don't wanna go alone, I need a date! "He exclaimed.

Huey chuckled this time, "Well there are plenty of girls at school who'd probably die to go on a date with you. There are no other black people at the school besides us, "He gestured to himself and his brother, "And I guess that's what the girls like the most. "

"Then getting a date will be easy. "Caesar replied smoothly, "What about y'all? Got any dates in mind? "

Huey and Riley both smiled sheepishly, "Naw man I got one in mind, "Riley admitted, "But I dunno. "

"Why not man? Go for it! "Caesar encouraged him, "What'cha gotta lose? "

"It's complicated, "Riley rubbed the back of his head with his hand and chuckled. Caesar turned to Huey, "What about you? "He then asked. He was curious about what Huey had to say.

Huey shrugged, "I got my eye on one girl, "He said slowly, "But I dunno if thing will work out. "

"Why not? "Both Riley and Caesar asked in unison. Huey rolled his eyes, "It's cause of that girl, what's her name…Veronica, "Huey sighed, "She's getting in the way too much. She keeps hovering around and she doesn't go away. "Huey scratched his face in an annoyed fashion, "I just don't know how to shake her off. She and her friend have been on to us since we first started school. "

"Aye man, I see, "Caesar nodded, "Well, lemme see how bad these girls can be. "

"Aight, but it's on you when you realize how insane they are, "Riley snickered. Caesar only smiled and continued to eat with them.

* * *

"That bitch is gonna get an ass whooping, "Cindy spat. She and Jazmine were in Jazmine's room after school. Cindy had just finished telling her about the incident with Samantha earlier that day, and how she had practically pushed herself onto Riley.

"Riley obviously likes you, "Jazmine replied coolly, "She just doesn't get the memo. "

"Naw shit, "Cindy groaned, "She and Veronica are gonna get an ass whooping by me! "

"At the same time? "Jazmine arched a brow.

"Why not? "Cindy challenged, "Unless you wanna jump in, I could always use ya in a fight Jaz, "She gave her a mischievous smile, causing Jazmine to burst into laughter.

"Well, I'm just waiting for Huey to finally ask me to homecoming or something already, "Jazmine sighed dreamily, "I just don't know when he'd do it. He seems kind of..., "

"Shy? "Cindy asked. Jazmine shook his head, "I don't know if shy is the right word, because he's obviously not shy. "She thought for a little longer before giving up, "I'll think of it eventually, "She said.

Suddenly, Cindy threw her hands up in the air, "Ya know what? I'm feelin' impulsive. C'mon, "She pulled on her hoodie over her tank top and shoved her feet into her sneakers. She wore a pair of faded jeans that looked too tight to be bearable. Jazmine slipped on her Jesus sandals as Cindy tossed one of Jazmine's cardigans towards her from her closet. She put it on over her own tank top and slipped out of her shorts into a pair of ripped jeans, "Where are we going? Why are you-, "

"No time! "Cindy snapped. She grabbed her purse and Jazmine barely had any time to grab hers before Cindy had bounded down the stairs, "There's something I've been dying to get, but my ma won't take me. Well now I got some money and I need a ride. This is the perfect time, anyways, "They hopped into Jazmine's car once outside, "I need to let off some steam. "

"Steam? "Jazmine was suddenly worried, but she started her car anyways. Cindy turned on the GPS in her phone and began telling Jazmine where to go.

It took them twenty minutes to drive into the downtown area and another fifteen to finally find the destination Cindy was dying to get to. Jazmine parked her car in the parking lot and slowly got out, while Cindy was already on the sidewalk. Jazmine eyed the place.

It was a complex of building, like a strip. There was a liquor store to the left besides a pawn shop and then one of those cheap phone places. Cindy was standing in front of one of the shops that had a big, bright sign saying "Mellie's Body Mods".

Jazmine was hesitant, but Cindy was yelling at her loudly from the shop's door, which she had also opened wide enough for the people inside to hear. They yelled something at her, and Cindy relayed the message to Jazmine, "We gotta get inside Jaz! "She said.

Jazmine reluctantly followed Cindy inside.

It smelled like a doctor's office. There was a small counter to the left with a person behind, manning the register. The counter was made of plate glass and had merchandise beaming at the two with hefty price tags on them. The person was a girl, at least, that's what Jazmine guessed. Her head was shaved, but she wore a whole lot of makeup with wild purple eyeshadow and several piercings on her ears and one on her nose. She wore a long sleeved crop top and what Jazmine was guessing were extremely ripped shorts.

There were three other people in the building; two boys and another girl. They all had tattoos adorning their arms and legs, which were visible, since they all wore shorts and shirts.

"Welcome, my name's Mellie, "The woman behind the counter said. She leaned against the wall behind her and nodded towards Jazmine and Cindy, "Anything I can do for y'all? "

"Yeah, I need something done on me, "Cindy said. She clenched her sweaty hands. There was no doubt that she was nervous, but she wasn't about to let anyone know that. Jazmine, however, was obviously frightened. She had never been in a tattoo parlor before. Her father had always stressed about how tattoos were for gang members and prostitutes, and that piercings made others think negatively of you.

"What'cha want? "Mellie asked, "And, just to let y'all know, I'm not allowed to pierce anyone under sixteen, and I can't tatt anyone under eighteen, "

"Perfect, I'm sixteen, "Cindy replied smoothly. Mellie nodded. She gestured to the other woman in the shop, "Kandie will take care of ya. What about you sweetheart? "Mellie turned to Jazmine. Jazmine took a step back and shook her head, "N-no, sorry, I'm just the driver, "She replied in a shaky voice. She cursed herself mentally for sounding so pathetic.

"It's cool, "Mellie shrugged.

Kandie took Cindy further back and had her sit in a chair. She pulled out a book and handed it to Cindy, instructing her to flip through it. She then walked into a closed off area restricted to only workers. Jazmine felt her head spin, why was Cindy here, of all places?

Cindy was nervous as she flipped through the book. It was an album that had pictures of different kinds of piercings and how much they cost. She was bombarded with so many different names, she didn't even know that there could be that many names.

She motioned for Jazmine to come towards her. Jazmine glanced towards Mellie for approval, and Mellie nodded, "Go ahead, she'll probably want you to hold her hand anyways. "

Jazmine quickly walked towards Cindy, "Why are we here? "She whispered frantically.

"Look, this is actually something I've been wanting to do. So why not do it now? It'll take my mind off of that bitch, "Cindy replied, waving Jazmine off, "Don't you wanna at least look at the pictures? "

Jazmine groaned and rolled her eyes, but she nodded anyways. She leaned in and began to look at the pictures while Cindy flipped through. Suddenly, she saw one that surprisingly caught her eye.

It was a naval piercing, or a belly piercing. The picture was only of the model's stomach, but the piercing looked rather flattering against her frame. The price was only twenty dollars. Cindy noticed it too and stopped. "I want that one, "She whispered to Jazmine.

Jazmine chuckled, "I noticed that one too, "

"Let's get it together! "Cindy squealed suddenly, "C'mon, we'll have something matching! "

"What?! I don't know…, "Jazmine grabbed her stomach and winced as she imagined getting the piercing. She only had her ears pierced, and even that hurt. How would this feel? "I'm a cheerleader. I'm sure that'll hurt if I fall…, "

"Then don't fall, "Cindy shrugged, "I'm a basketball player and I'm still gonna do it. "

Jazmine hated to admit it, but she did like how the piercing look. Kandie came over, pulling gloves onto her freshly washed hands? "You decided yet? "She asked Cindy. Cindy nodded and grabbed Jazmine's arm, "Yeah, me and my friend are getting' matching ones! "She chirped.

Jazmine's eyes bugged out, but she was already gestured to sit in a chair a few feet away from Cindy. Kandie called out to Mellie, who came towards them from the front. She arched a brow at Jazmine, "Thought you weren't getting anything? "She asked. Jazmine shrugged, "Might as well. "She tried to smile to hide her nervousness.

Mellie went to the back while Kandie started pulling out some things from drawers. She pulled out what looked to be like clamps and long needles, thicker than the ones you'd pierce your ears with. But then again, Jazmine couldn't remember what it felt like to have her ears pierced. Mellie came back a few minutes later with gloves on and two little boxes.

"Hope y'all like pink, "Mellie said, handing one to Kandie. Cindy shot them the thumbs up while Jazmine weakly smiled in return.

"Alright, before we get started, I'm telling y'all the basics, "Mellie said. She quickly cleaned off the needle, as did Kandie. Cindy tried to reach over for Jazmine, but Jazmine was too far away. The chairs suddenly began to lean backwards until Cindy and Jazmine were looking up at the ceiling.

Kandie lifted up Cindy's shirt at the same time that Mellie did. They both swabbed down the girl's stomachs with alcohol on a cotton pad. They then took a marker and marked where the piercing was going to be. Taking the clamps, they pinched the skin where they would insert the piercing.

Jazmine's nerves were running wild as Cindy's palms began to sweat. She twitched her toes inside her shoes to keep from going crazy.

"Y'all will have to keep in the stud for a year, "Mellie went on, "Make sure you clean it every day with soap. It don't have to be special soap, just regular hand soap. Rub around the piercing to get in real good. It'll hurt for the first few days, and try not to sleep on your stomach for a while. "

Kandie and Mellie positioned themselves on chairs in front of the girls, needles and studs in hand. The girl's held their breath as Mellie and Kandie counted down from three, "Ready? "Kandie asked. The girls nodded, leaning their arms out far enough to touch fingertips.

"3, 2, 1…, "

A sharp pinching pain rattled the girls as Jazmine cried out. Cindy bit her lip and sucked in a deep breath, wincing. Suddenly, the felt the needle being removed and something much smaller was in its place.

"Alright, all done, "Kandie said, getting up with her tools. The two went over to a nearby sink to clean up and take off their gloves. Jazmine looked down at the piercing.

The stud was silver with a pink stone. Cindy's was the same. They slowly stood up, but didn't feel any pain. They slowly followed Mellie to the register and waited until she gave them a price. They paid together, "Remember, clean it every day and wear it for one whole year, no taking it out or it'll close! "Mellie reminded them. They nodded and smiled, wincing slightly as they moved around some more. "Thank you for stopping by! "Kandie called out. The girls waved at them before heading out towards Jazmine's car.

Jazmine sucked in a breath as she sat down in the driver's seat. Cindy did the same when she got into the passenger's side. "Well damn, that was pretty painful, "She groaned, "Well, you wanted it and you dragged me into it! "Jazmine replied. She pulled up her shirt to look at it. She did like how it looked, though.

"You know you like it, "Cindy said smugly. Jazmine rolled her eyes, "Whatever, "

* * *

 **Cindy was REALLY impulsive lol. I added so much detail in the piercing part because it's what I remember when I got my own a few years back. I've actually been working on this chapter for a long time because I haven't really been able to work on my other stories. This one's been a draft for a very long time, so I thought why not just finish it out. I'll try to get my other two updated during Spring Break in a few days.**

 **R &R**

 **xoxoxo, Queen**


	8. Struggling

**Ugh I haven't updated anything in so long, I almost forgot how to wright. Since my last few update I've been studying for finals and trying to get my life together ugh. Anyways, this next few updates over all my stories are long overdue, but I'm planning on getting to Smoke and Shadows and No Boundaries this weekend and hopefully publishing something.**

* * *

Veronica stood in the cafeteria with Samantha, waiting. It was only a couple weeks until homecoming, and she was determined to go with Huey. And she had come up with a rather foolproof plan, but she needed the help of a certain someone. She scanned the room, looking over several other blonde heads, until she found the one.

Cindy sat alone, waiting for Jazmine. She was busy eating an apple and texting on her phone, most likely texting Riley. With one swift motion, Veronica had signaled Samantha to follow her.

They approached Cindy, and she was less than happy to see them, "What do y'all nosy bitches want now? "She spat.

"I need a favor, "Veronica replied smoothly, "From you. "

Cindy scoffed, "And why would I help yo desperate ass anyways? Look, Huey ain't interested in your uppity white ass, so I suggest you move along, "She glanced over at Samantha and furrowed her brow, "And you too, "She added. Samantha only giggled and tossed a lock of hair over her shoulder.

"It seems you've forgotten what I can do, Cindy, "Veronica mused. She sauntered over to sit next to Cindy and casually pulled out her phone, "It seems you've forgotten about our little talk at the party…, "

Cindy mentally slapped herself; she had totally forgotten about it. She had tried to let it slip her mind, and it worked, until now. She gritted her teeth and stared down at her half eaten apple, "What do you want? "She asked.

Veronica clicked her tongue with satisfaction and abruptly got back up, "Listen, you're going to…distract Jazmine. Just for a second or two. That's it, "

"Really? "Cindy arched a brow. She felt sick to her stomach; she did not want to do this to her best friend. But if Veronica let this slip, lord knows what would become of Cindy. Cindy pondered as to how Veronica had gotten ahold of all that on her phone, but she didn't really want to find out.

"Oh yes, easy as pie, "Veronica smiled. Samantha made a noise and cleared her throat. Veronica turned towards one of the entrances and spotted Jazmine, who was busy looking at her phone to notice them, "As soon as Huey starts coming over, here, distract her with something, "She repeated, giving more details, "You'll know when you're parts done, "And she stood back up and sauntered away before Jazmine could notice her talking to Cindy.

Jazmine sat down next to Cindy and piled her things onto the chair next to her, "Ugh, class was so boring! "She exclaimed, "I'm not really in the mood to eat, Huey wants to take me out after practice, "She nearly fell out of her seat at the thought of Huey and her going somewhere. Cindy was uneasy, but chuckled at Jazmine, trying to act normal. From another table, she spotted Veronica and Samantha, who were watching her. Veronica's eyes shifted to another direction to stare, and Cindy followed her gaze.

Huey and Riley were coming their way, but in tow was a stranger to Cindy. He had dreads and was much darker than both Huey and Riley. Not knowing what to do, she turned back to Veronica, whose face was darkened. She made a cutting motion with her hand, as if to say 'stop'. She and Samantha stood up to walk away. The deal was off…for now.

Cindy was utterly relieved and was happy to feel Riley's arms sling around her from behind in a half-hug, "Wassup? "He asked, sitting next to her. Huey moved Jazmine's things from the chair next to her and sat down. Their friend sat across the way, "Jazmine, Cindy, this is Caesar, "Huey introduced him. Caesar smiled and waved at the two, "Nice to meet ya, "He said, his voice heavy with an accent, "Just moved here, met Huey and Riley the other day at a fast food place. "

"Of all the places to be, "Riley said, "It was a chicken place, too, "He joked, causing the group to laugh.

Meanwhile, Samantha and Veronica were standing by double doors that led outside to the portables, "Who's that? "Samantha asked. Veronica shrugged, "Dunno, but like Huey and Riley, he's attracting a lot of attention. "She gestured at several girls who were ogling at him. Samantha chuckled, "Strange, where are all these boys coming from? "She joked. Veronica gave her a look that told her to shut up.

"Should we even bother trying to get Huey and Riley? "Samantha then asked. Veronica turned to her, giving her another look. "Why do you ask that? "She demanded, folding her arms across her chest. "Well, this has gotten harder. We keep getting all these interferences. Even with the dirt we have on Cindy, it'll be tough to break Huey and Jazmine apart. Even tougher to get Riley away from Cindy. "

Veronica had to admit, they were getting a lot of interferences. "Well, if we can't blackmail Cindy enough, then we'll just have to destroy them both, "She gave Samantha a sly smile, "I wouldn't mind. Jazmine's competition, and Cindy isn't any better, "She narrowed her eyes and hissed, "I will not lose my status as queen over this campus to a half-breed cheerleader who thinks she's got something to dazzle the world with and her ghetto-wannabe-black white girl best friend who thinks that her fists can solve any problem. "She turned around to glare at the two from their positions, "I did not struggle that much to fall to them. "She sneered, "And Huey would totally be worth it. "

Samantha chuckled. Veronica always did have a deep seeded hatred for anyone else she wasn't familiar with, which was why Samantha had made her decision a long time ago to become Veronica's best friend. It had its perks.

But, Samantha also remembered a time before high school, when Veronica was just another face in the crowd, easy to forget, and hard to point out. It was amazing how high someone could climb, but Samantha also knew that Veronica had a greater chance of falling…and taking her down as well.

* * *

Cindy was anxious to tell Jazmine about Veronica. She just needed to convince her not to tell anyone else, which would be hard, because Jazmine would most likely run to Huey right afterwards and confide in him about it. She rounded the corner to her next class before a figure in the hall stopped her.

It was a girl. She was rather fair skinned, but she had light silvery hair that was done back in cornrows similar to Riley's hair and big violet eyes that could stare into your soul. She had a nose piercing and several on her ears. She wore the Wuncler Academy uniform, like everyone else, with black socks and Adidas black and white shoes. Her makeup was heavy but rather on point, and when she opened her mouth to speak, Cindy caught the glance of tongue piercings.

"You Cindy? "She asked. Her voice was heavily accented.

"Yes…who are ya? "Cindy asked nervously. She knew this girl from somewhere, but she couldn't put her finger on it. This girl was obviously familiar, but from where, she didn't know.

"I'm Venus "She said, introducing herself, "I'm Veronica's cousin. "

"Cousin? "Cindy arched a brow. Venus nodded, "Veronica is my older cousin. I'm a freshman here. "

It clicked. Cindy remembered seeing pictures in Veronica's home at the party, and she was sure this girl was one of the many that were hanging on the walls.

"I didn't know Veronica has family tha' come to this schoo', "Cindy commented. Venus shrugged, "Well, she probably wouldn't mention me anyways. I'm not one of her favorite cousins. "She clicked her tongue, "My sister, Vera, is, but Vera doesn't go to school here anymore. She transferred to some fashion school her freshman year here. "

"Oh, "Cindy felt awkward. She had no idea why Veronica's younger cousin was talking to her.

"Listen, I'm just trying to help you. Honestly, "She held up her right hand, as if she was going to recite some oath of truthfulness, "Veronica gets on my nerves as much as yours probably. I even have to socialize with her because she's family. Count yourself lucky. "

Cindy had to chuckle, "Yea, well, I am then, "

Venus cracked a small smile, revealing sparkling teeth that were probably whiter than Veronica's. "Meet me after school, we can talk more then. I'll be by the track area, "And she walked away, not even giving Cindy a chance to reply. Cindy paused before continuing. The bell had already rung, but she didn't care. She slipped into class and stared at her desk, wondering if she should meet up with Venus.

* * *

Venus was there, just as she had said. Cindy joined her on a bench, "I can't stay long, "She said, "I'm meetin' Jazmine after this, so wha' did ya wanna say? "

Venus had taken off her Wuncler blazer and shirt, revealing that she was wearing a crop top underneath. Her stomach was also pierced, "I wanted to talk to you about Veronica. "She said. Cindy nodded, "I'm listenin'. "

Venus sighed, "I don't know when Veronica became like this. I know she's just a snobby bitch to you and everyone else here except her best friend, Samantha, but I remember a time when she wasn't this mean. "Cindy scoffed, "Well, she really is a bitch. She tryna hold some blackmail bullshit against me 'cause she tryna get at MY best friend's man! "Venus only laughed, "Veronica would stoop to that level. I wouldn't be surprised if she paid someone to get her whatever information she needed. "

"She need to stop before somethin' bad happens to her, "Cindy said warningly, "And ya can tell her I said tha'. "

"I'm not, "Venus replied simply, "I'm here to tell you what I know, okay? "Cindy only nodded and remained silent. Venus sighed again, "Veronica doesn't have any excuse to act like a total bitch, but I know where she's coming from. "

"Oh really? "Cindy couldn't help but retaliate. Venus rolled her eyes, "Believe it or not, Miss Perfect Cheerleader wasn't so perfect at first. Veronica was actually far from it. She used to be some ditsy, uncoordinated blondie who was so shy she couldn't even speak to teachers. "

Cindy hadn't really known Veronica in the years before high school. When high school started, she was a perfect girl, based on what Jazmine had told her. It was hard to imagine her as anything but perfect.

"Yeah, she was far from perfect. Or popular. Veronica had zero friends, until she met Samantha. Samantha was just as imperfect as Veronica, but…I think that's what made them friends, "Venus grew quiet for a moment, "They seemed to become stronger together. Maybe it was because they were both out of place and quirky, but the summer before their freshman year, I remember going over to Veronica's house and seeing both of them running around her backyard and taking turns weighing themselves. Every time I'd spend the night, they were in Veronica's room with Viola and Vera, doing each other's makeup and practicing how to walk and speak. I was never interested in that stuff then, which made me the odd man out. "

Cindy listened intently. She never knew that Veronica had to go through stuff like that, she just assumed that Veronica was already perfect. But, that was where she was wrong.

"Veronica and Samantha had this ideal image in their heads, they wanted to be perfect. "Venus went on, "And tha's wha' they got, "Cindy finished flatly, "They're perfect. "

"No, they're not, "Venus retorted, "They're just good at pretending to be perfect. But listen, I know Veronica has it out for you and your friend. She wants that boy, Huey. And Samantha has her eyes on Riley. I've heard them talking before, and I know about the blackmail. "

Cindy winced, "I just told ya, "Cindy said, "Yeah, but I know what it actually is. I'm not deaf, and Samantha talks really loud. "

Cindy closed her eyes and leaned her head back, "So, what do ya suggest I do 'bout this? Veronica has tha' on her phone, she can share it at any time. "

"What she has also says something about her, Cindy, "Venus said, "Like, why would she have that on her phone? "

"To blackmail me! "Cindy buried her face into her hands, "She knows tha' if Riley sees it, he'll probably never wanna talk to me ever again! "

"You don't know that Cindy, "Venus replied. It was silent for a moment, "Does Jazmine know? "

"I dunno. I never really spoke 'bout it afterwards, "Cindy wiped her eyes, "It was real embarrassin', I just wanted it to be forgotten. "

"Well, Veronica is good at making things resurface, "Venus admitted, "And she's really good at ruining someone's high school career. I don't know how this is gonna end Cindy…but at least tell Jazmine. Maybe she can back you up somehow, in some way. "

"Yea, "Cindy nodded. She turned to Venus, "Why are ya helpin' me? Veronica's your cousin, she's family. "

"Like I said, "Veronica stood up, grabbing a purse from underneath the bench and slinging it over her shoulder, "Veronica is just a snobby bitch now. I wish I could say she's done some good in recent times, but she just hasn't. She'll do anything to stay on top, and she doesn't care who she hurts in the process. "

She waited for Cindy to stand up before walking towards the front of the school. Cindy followed her. She was surprised that Venus walked rather quickly. "I don't know if I can really help you, I just wanted to talk to you about Veronica, "Venus went on, "Maybe you can dig a little deeper into it and find something against Veronica. She's not perfect, so there's bound to be a slip up somewhere. "

"But I don't even know where to look, "Cindy objected.

"Well, unfortunately, Veronica won't stop unless someone stops her. She's not going to delete or erase anything that she has on you until she do her dirty work for her…or you do it yourself. "Venus said with a hint of slyness in her voice.

"Wha' do you mean by tha'? "Cindy asked quizzically. Venus then spun around, catching Cindy off guard, "Listen, I know a guy who can hack into anything, "She began, "Maybe he can help you. All he needs is a number. "

"But I ain't got her number, "Cindy replied.

"But you know someone who might, "Venus gave a small smile as she saw the lightbulb go on in Cindy's eyes, "Jazmine! She's sure to have it! "

"Bingo, "Venus winked at her. They were now in the front of the school, in the front parking lot. A car rolled up in front of them, but it was filled with a few teenagers and Cindy could smell smoke, "I gotta go, I'll see you around, "Venus said, opening the car door and tossing her things inside.

"Wait! Wha's his name? "Cindy asked before she could get inside.

Venus turned to her and smiled, "Look for a junior by the name of Hiro. Tell him Venus sent you. "And with that, she hopped into the car and it sped away.

* * *

 **I'm trying to incorporate all of the characters into this story, hence why Hiro and Caesar are finally making appearances. Ming's gonna be in this one too, don't worry. Veronica's backstory comes from my own experiences starting from about middle school. This chapter's focus is primarily on Cindy's problem, obvi. I wonder if anyone can guess it...? Oh, and expect Venus to appear in the rest of the story, she'll probably be a key OC.**

 **xoxoxo, Queen**


	9. At First Sight

**Hey guys! It's been a minute since I've written anything. School has gotten pretty hectic, and for a while I lost a lot of motivation to write. I always tried to set time aside just for writing, but something always came up. I have so many new ideas for stories, but first I have to continue on with the ones I have (:**

* * *

Cindy circled the basketball court a few times before her nerves set in.

Just yesterday, she was approached by Venus, one of Veronica's many cousins, who had promised her that some guy called Hiro could help her with a little issue. All day, Cindy had been asking around school about him, until she had finally stumbled upon a girl called Ming, who was in her fifth period. Ming sat at the front of the class and talked to literally no one, but once she heard Hiro's name pop out of Cindy's mouth, she was all over her.

Now, Cindy waited. Ming had told her that she and Hiro would meet her after school in the basketball courts. Cindy was there, but there was no one in sight. She was getting nervous. What if Ming had lied to her? What if she stood her up? What if Hiro had said no and decided to not show?

The butterflies in her stomach swarmed the more she thought about it, but then, she heard the creak of the metal gate door that lead out of the basketball court open. She turned her head towards the sound, and in came Ming. Cindy had learned in sixth period that Ming was a skilled tennis player, and had taken the Wuncler Tennis team to nationals the year previous. She had long, jet black hair that was never out of place, or was always tied back. She had dark eyes that seemed to stare people down, and she was tall, a little taller than Cindy.

Ming approached Cindy and looked her over, "I didn't think you'd show, "She admitted harshly, her voice was sharp and it cut through Cindy's skin like a knife. Cindy gulped, "Yeah, this is pretty important. "

Ming arched a brow, "You said Venus sent you? "

Cindy nodded. "Well, it must be, Venus has never sent anyone to us before. "Ming shook her head, "How do you know Venus? "Cindy asked. Ming scowled at her, but replied, "I know her sister, Vera. Vera used to date my older brother before he graduated. Venus would tag along to my house whenever Vera would come over. "

Ming gave her another look, "Have you gotten under Veronica's radar? "Cindy sighed and nodded, "Yeah, that's what I need help with. "

Ming was about to say something when the door opened again. A tall, lean looking Asian boy came in. He had hair blacker than Ming's, and it was slightly spiked up. He wore shades over his eyes that had flaming red rims. He carried a bookbag over his shoulder and was chewing on some gum.

"You're Cindy? "He said as he stopped in front of her. His voice was just as sharp and cutthroat as Ming's. Cindy nodded, "Yes, I am. "She balled her fists up, "I need some help. "

"I know, Ming told me. "He glanced at Ming slightly, who blushed and looked away. Cindy noticed that Ming's whole demeanor seemed to change. She was blushing and there was a hint of a smile on her lips. But, when she looked back at Cindy, her cold glare and scowled face returned.

"Well, what do you need? "Hiro asked, taking off his glasses to reveal two pools of black ink. Cindy felt like she was staring into the eyes of demons from horror movies, but she didn't say that out loud.

"It's Veronica. She's blackmailin' me with somethin', I don't know how she got a hold of them, but I need your help in gettin' rid of them. "Cindy said it so fast that she stuttered and her words meshed together. Hiro chuckled, "I see this topic seems to make you…uneasy. "

"Yeah, it really does. "Cindy replied truthfully.

"Well, I can hack into Veronica's phone easily, leave that up to me. I can erase and retrieve whatever it is, I'm assuming you're talking about pictures? "Hiro quirked up a brow. Cindy squirmed slightly and glanced at Ming, who had a similar expression on her face. Cindy nodded.

She motioned for Hiro to step closer and he did, leaning down so Cindy could whisper into his ear. His eyes widened slightly, but they quickly changed back and he stood back up straight, "Well, I can see why you're so anxious to get them erased. "He nodded, scratching his chin.

"However, there is a slight problem, "He added. Cindy felt her stomach drop, "What is it? "She asked.

"Well, with something like that in Veronica's possession, who knows what she's done with them. If she only kept them on her phone, I can erase them from there when I hack into it. I can also erase any pictures saved into something such as Google drive. However, if she has sent them to anyone, or even to herself in an email, text message, or over any other social media…, "He saw Cindy's expression shift into worriment, "It'll be tough to completely erase them. I can look into her emails and texts, and I'll let you know what I discover. "

Cindy felt like she was going to cry, but she only sucked in a breath and nodded, "Okay. What do I owe you? "

Hiro held up a hand, as if to silence her, "For now, nothing. Let me do my part, and I'll get back to you on that. "He gave her a cheerful smile, but Cindy couldn't help but feel like she was going to regret this whole arrangement later on.

Ming was tired of it being a big secret, she wanted to know what was going on. However, she waited until Cindy began saying her goodbyes. Cindy thanked Hiro at least ten times before she finally exited the courts. Ming waited until she was for sure that Cindy was out of sight before turning to Hiro.

"What did she say? "Ming jumped on him, lacing her arms around his neck and pulling his head down to meet hers. Hiro chuckled, "This is pretty confidential, Ming, "He said, "I don't think I should share this. "

"C'mon, you know I won't tell anyone, "Ming prodded. She leaned up and planted a soft kiss on his lips. He rolled his eyes, but he kissed her back, "Okay, okay, but you can't tell anyone. "He instructed. Ming nodded.

"Well, apparently, Veronica got some really deep shit on Cindy. You probably know this, but Cindy's been seeing that new kid, Riley, the one who's older brother looks like he could kick your ass just by looking at you. Well, I don't know if seeing is the right word, but they're getting pretty close to dating and-"

"C'mon Hiro, get to the point! "Ming playfully punched him in his shoulder. Hiro chuckled, "Yeah, sorry, well, Veronica's got some pictures of Cindy doing some things she shouldn't be doing with other guys…and these were apparently taken recently…, "

"So, she basically kinda cheated on Riley? "Ming finished. Hiro thought for a second, "I don't know if it would be called cheating, since they're not officially together. But, they are talking, and if Riley finds out that she's also fooling around with other guys while she's trying to make a relationship with him, I'm pretty sure it would ruin her chances of ever getting to be with him. "

Ming sighed, "I didn't pin her as that type. Oh well. And you're really gonna help her out? "

Hiro nodded, "Well, she seems sincere in her feelings for Riley. And honestly, those pictures might be fake, or they might be before Riley came into the picture. It's Veronica's word against Cindy's, and Veronica has some pretty rough ammo behind her. "

Ming nodded, "Well, don't get in Veronica's way. She'll try to get you, too. "

Hiro nodded and kissed her forehead, "Thanks for the concern. "

* * *

Huey, Riley, and Caesar stood together outside Forever 21, carrying bags from other stores that they had just previously hit. Cindy and Jazmine had invited the trio to the mall, only to spend forever in every store, looking at every item until they were sure that they had what they wanted. It was enough to make the boys wait outside the stores, only for them to be forced to carry every single bag the girls got.

"Man, I hate shoppin' with girls, "Riley muttered. He kicked a cup that someone had discarded on the floor, "They take forever and come out with like two things! "

"Hey, you said yes when they first mentioned it, "Huey pointed out. Riley scoffed, "I didn't think they was gonna spend forever in one damn place! "

"I was dying to get out anyways, "Caesar added, "I don't mind waiting. "

"Man, you're gay, "Riley teased, only to be backhanded by Huey, "Aye! Lighten up, man, "Riley warned, rubbing the back of his head where Huey had hit him. Finally, Jazmine and Cindy emerged from the store, carrying a few more bags, "I'm starving, "Jazmine announced to the group, "Let's go get some food. "

"Now ya talking, "Riley agreed, following the girls with Huey and Caesar. They made their way to the food court, which was overcrowded and hot. The lines seemed to stretch on forever, and there was no way they would be able to find a table.

"Damn, I don't see anything, "Huey mumbled. He felt Jazmine beside him, her hair tickled his neck. Huey had been trying to not stare at Jazmine, or at least make it obvious that he was. She wore a pair of shorts and an oversized sweater and a pair of Keds, with her hair loose, only held back by a headband. She looked amazing, and Huey couldn't stop thinking about how good she looked. Now, she was leaning against him as she scanned the court, a hand resting on his arm as she held on to him so she wouldn't be taken by the crowd of people surrounding them.

Riley and Cindy stood back with Caesar, who was drooling over food that was being served in one of the lines.

"Hey, I didn't think I'd see you here. "

Cindy's ears perked as she heard a familiar voice behind her. She turned around with Riley, and spotted Venus.

"Do you know her? "Riley asked. Cindy nodded, "Yeah, her name's Venus. She's…a new friend. "

Venus gave her a wink as she smiled at Riley. Huey and Jazmine turned around when they heard her speak, but Caesar's attention was still trained to the food. "These are my friends, "Cindy began introducing them, gesturing to each as she said their names, "Riley, Huey, Jazmine, and…Caesar! "

Upon hearing his name, his attention snapped towards Cindy and he swiveled his head around, "Sorry Cindy, what were you saying? "He asked, but then he saw the person behind her and froze.

Without realizing it, he'd dropped the bags, and the contents spilled onto the floor. Jazmine gasped and instantly bent down to retrieve the items, but Caesar's gaze was still fixed on the girl.

She had mesmerizing silver hair that was long and done in waves that cascaded down her back. She had large eyes the color of amethysts, and a small nose piercing that glinted under the light. She wore a grey bomber jacket and ripped jeans with black slip on shoes. She also had on a light amount of makeup, and had several more piercings in her ears.

Venus stared awkwardly back for a moment before slowly turning away.

"Yo, Caesar! "Riley waved a hand in front of Caesar's face, forcing him out of his little moment and back into reality, "Woah, yeah, sorry Jazmine, "Caesar apologized, bending over to help her pick up her things. Jazmine only nodded and gulped down a giggle.

Huey and Riley glanced awkwardly at each other before turning back to Venus, "Sorry about that, "Huey said, "It's nice to meet you, Venus. "

"Nice to meet you, too, "Venus smiled warmly, but her eyes shifted back to Caesar, who was now standing. Jazmine had taken all the bags from him and had gone off to find a table with Riley. Caesar felt his face heat up, "Uh, I'm gonna go find a table with Jazmine and Riley, "He said. He quickly turned around to walk away, but stopped, turning back, "Uh, nice to meet you, Venus! "He called out. Venus chuckled and waved, "It was nice to meet you too, Caesar, "

Caesar gave a charming half smile that made Venus's heart melt before he turned around to follow Riley and Jazmine.

"What was that about? "Cindy inquired. Huey shrugged, but a hint of a smirk was on his face, "I don't know. "

Caesar felt Jazmine and Riley's gaze as he approached them at a table. "What was that all about man? "Riley asked, confused. Jazmine erupted in giggles, "You like, froze! Your eyes went big and you looked like you were gonna have a heart attack, Caesar! "

Suddenly, Riley burst into laughter, joining Jazmine, "Woah man, you telling me you have a thing for Ve…Va…, "Riley couldn't remember her name.

"Her name is Venus, "Caesar shot back, annoyed. Riley only laughed harder, "Damn boy, how far did you fall in five seconds? "He teased. Caesar only rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"I remember her now, Cindy told me something about her, "Jazmine said after she'd calmed down. "Her name is Venus, she's a freshman at our school-, "

"Woah there! "Riley continued to tease, "A freshman? Dude, you're way too old for her! Not to mention that height difference…, "He began to make sexual motions with his hands, and Jazmine swatted him on his shoulder, "Stop that, Riley, "She said.

"As I was saying, she's a freshman, and she's Veronica's younger cousin by a few years, "Jazmine crossed her arms over her chest, "Okay, now she's outta there for sure, "Riley shook his head, "Veronica's the biggest bitch at our school, god knows how Venus is. "

"She doesn't seem like Veronica at all, "Caesar sighed, looking back. Venus was still talking to Cindy and Huey, smiling and laughing, "She seems…nice, "

"Nice? Veronica seemed nice when we first met her, and now look, "Riley said, "She's the worst. "

"I agree, "Jazmine added.

"Y'all ain't even giving her a chance, "Caesar said, "We've only spoken to her once, "

"Yeah, once, "Riley shot back, "And she had you lookin' like a fool in love. "

"I think it's cute, "Jazmine chimed in, "Love at first sight! It's so romantic, don't you think? "

"This ain't a Disney movie, Jazmine, "Riley said, "There's no 'love at first sight' bullshit here. "

"It's not bullshit, "Jazmine snapped, "Anyways, Caesar is right. We haven't even given her a chance. Maybe she's not like Veronica at all. "

"Or maybe she's just as bad, "Riley added.

Caesar shook his head, "I dunno man. This is my first time meeting her, I'm not gonna assume I've fallen in love with her. Besides, she is related to our enemy. And…she is a little too young for me, I am almost eighteen. She's what, fourteen or fifteen? "

"Fifteen at the most, "Riley confirmed, "But she's also one of those girls that can put on a pound of makeup and look like she's twenty. Either way, she'll be jail bait for ya. "

"That's not funny, Riley, "Jazmine snapped.

"Point bein', watch out man, "Riley warned Caesar, ignoring Jazmine. Caesar nodded, "Like I said, I dunno what I'm feeling…maybe it was just a moment thing, you know? "

Jazmine began giggling, "Or…maybe it was love at first sight! "

* * *

 **So, what do y'all think? Moment thing or love at first sight? Anyways, I'm gonna hopefully get back into writing more soon. love y'all**

 **xoxoxo, Queen**


	10. Too Late

**I've been in kind of a Wuncler mood lately. After writing the last chapter, I just kept going and wrote this one. I am going to update No Boundaries and Smoke and Shadows as soon as I'm finished editing.**

* * *

Huey and Riley met up with Caesar right after school. Caesar had been going on all morning about drumline auditions and how he wanted to join, but didn't want to walk in there alone. Being supportive friends, Huey and Riley volunteered to tag along for the moral support.

They stood outside the band hall, waiting for Caesar, who had his last period on the other side of the school.

"Man, I'd join drumline if it wasn't for basketball, "Riley said. Huey rolled his eyes, "I'm surprised you even go to basketball practices after school. "He teased. Riley scowled back.

Finally, Caesar appeared from a corner, "Hey guys! Glad y'all could make it with me, I'm nervous as hell. "

"I believe it, "Huey smirked. He and Riley proceeded to follow Caesar inside. There were tons of other teens in there, called band kids, and they were all holding instruments and practicing.

"Normally, drumline auditions happen at the end of the year and they practice over the summer to get ready for football season, but there was an exception, "Caesar began to explain, "One kid transferred schools last minute, another never showed up for practice and got kicked off, there's been several mishaps since last year's auditions. "

"And you're hoping to fill in one of those spots, "Huey concluded. Caesar nodded and winked, "Bingo. "

Huey quirked up an eyebrow and couldn't help but smirk, "Or…are you trying to impress Venus? "

Riley gasped and the trio stopped dead in their tracks. Caesar looked at them, flushed, "What the hell are you talking about? "He inquired, rubbing the back of his head. Huey chuckled, "The other day, you seemed pretty taken by her, and you barely even spoke a few sentences to her. "

"Like you did, "Caesar muttered. Huey shrugged, "Well, she did hang back to talk to me and Cindy after you left. We made some small talk, Venus told us that she loves instruments…,"

"Oh damn, "Riley burst into laughter, "You are in love boy! "

Caesar rolled his eyes and continued to walk, "I don't like her, okay. I barely met her once. "

"C'mon, don't lie to us, "Riley prodded, "Ask her out already. "

"I just met her! "Caesar stated again, "I can't just ask out someone I only spoke to for like five minutes. Besides, I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm a creep or something. I stared at her for like a minute straight and dropped everything I had in my hands. She probably doesn't want to talk to me again, "Caesar sighed.

"You don't know that, "Huey argued, but Caesar quickly left the conversation after being pulled into a crowd of band kids. Huey groaned, "Great, now we have to find him. "

Caesar found himself face to face with a small group of boys. They eyed him, "So, you're wanting to join the drumline? "One said. He had sandy blonde hair and very tanned skin. Caesar nodded, "Yeah, pretty much, "He said. Sandy boy tossed him a pair of drumsticks, "Show us what you got. "

"Right now? "Caesar was taken aback.

"Hey, there you are, "Huey grabbed Caesar's shoulder, "Why the hell did you walk away from us mid conversation? "Then, Huey spotted the group. He turned back to Caesar and arched a brow quizzically. Caesar only shrugged.

"Hey, why not, "Sandy boy took another pair of drumsticks from a darker toned boy and tossed them to Huey, who skillfully caught them without even flinching, "What are you talking about? "He asked. Caesar gripped a drumstick in each hand, "They want us to play something. "

"Oh, no, "Huey shook his head and tried to return the drumsticks to the boys, but they wouldn't accept them, "I'm not a drummer. "He tried to convince them, but they held their ground, "We just wanna see if two new boys can actually keep a beat. "Sandy boy smirked. It made Huey furrow his brow in annoyance.

"Fine, what's your game? "Huey demanded. The boy shrugged, "Play on anything you'd like. "

Huey glanced at Caesar, who offered nothing but a shrug. Riley approached them from behind, having heard the whole conversation, "Here nigga, use this, "He pulled up two high stools that had plastic seats. Huey sighed and scratched his head, "Well, what do we have to lose? "He asked Caesar, who only chuckled, "I dunno, our dignity? "

"Very funny, "Huey shot back, "You got us into this, remember that. "

"Are you going to play or fight like a married couple? "Sandy boy asked, crossing his arms over his chest impatiently. Huey turned his attention back to Caesar, "I'll follow you, "He said. Caesar shrugged, "Whatever, if you can keep up, "And he gave him a sly smile.

Huey once again arched a brow as Caesar began drumming a beat. Then, Huey gave him a sly smile of his own, "Oh, think I can't keep up? "He inquired. Caesar changed the beat and laughed, "Nah, you're too stingy. "

"Oh really, "Huey mocked. Huey flipped a drumstick in his hand and began belting out a beat similar to Caesar's, only it acted as a backup chorus for Caesar's own beat. Caesar laughed as they continued their music making. They were unaware of the other students that were stopping to watch the two battle it out. Riley stood in the background, cheering the two on.

They were so engrossed in what they were doing that they didn't even notice the drumline instructor, Mr. Harpshield, approach them from behind, "Had enough, Huey? "Caesar asked. Huey laughed, "I was about to ask you the same thing! "He exclaimed. He drew his hand back to slam down a new beat, but Mr. Harpshield grabbed him by his wrist.

Startled, Huey whirled around and backed up, ready for a right. Caesar dropped the drumsticks and took a step back, only to be relieved that it was just a teacher. Huey sighed and regained his composure, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize we were causing a scene, "Huey apologized. Riley fell back behind him, not wanting to be yelled at by the teacher. Caesar rubbed his arm, unsure of how to speak to Mr. Harpshield.

Mr. Harpshield looked Huey and Caesar over, "You boys new to this school? "He asked. Huey nodded, "Yes sir, my brother and I, "He gestured to Riley, who waved uncertainly and gave an awkward smile, "Moved here from Chicago. "

"I came from Brooklyn, "Caesar added.

Mr. Harpshield nodded, rubbing his chin. He was a tall, lean looking man with blonde hair and a blonde beard. His eyes were a darker green than Jazmine's. He looked like he was trying to decide on something.

"You two trying out for drumline? "He asked. Caesar's ears perked up, "Yes sir, well, I was. Huey and Riley were just here for support. "

"I could use you both, "Mr. Harpshield admitted to Caesar and Huey, "The way you two play, it's like a gift; it just comes to you naturally. "

Caesar beamed while Huey felt his face heat up. He wasn't prepared to join a team, let alone the drumline, "What do you say? "Mr. Harpshield asked. Huey turned to Riley and Caesar, who both gave him a big thumbs up, although Riley was holding back laughter. Huey sighed, "Yeah, sure, why not. "

"Great! Practice starts next week, "Mr. Harpshield shook their hands and walked away. Huey and Caesar returned the drumsticks to the boys and left with Riley.

"Well damn, Huey, looks like you just joined the drumline! "Riley teased, bursting into laughter the moment they exited the band hall, "It's his fault, "Huey gestured to Caesar, "You're the one who got caught up with those drumline kids. "

"I didn't ask you to play, "Caesar tried to defend himself, although he knew perfectly well that this really was his fault. However, he could somewhat see that Huey wasn't really bothered by the idea of him being on the drumline.

"So, what do we do now? "Huey asked him Caesar shrugged, "Well, we go to practice. A football game is coming up, we'll probably have to perform then. Band usually does during halftime. "

"So y'all better start practicing! "Riley snickered.

"What about Venus? "Huey went on the conversation that Caesar was desperately trying to avoid. Caesar balled his fists and stuck them into his pockets, "What about her? "He asked. Huey sighed, "We know you like her, at least a little bit. "

Caesar shook his head, "I told y'all, I don't. "

Caesar thought about it. Really, he didn't know what he felt towards Venus. He knew that there was some connection; that day at the mall was proof, and he'd just met her at that time. He hadn't seen her since, so he didn't even know if he could like her based on their lack of communication and visitation with one another. But…he was certain that he was feeling…something, despite what he was trying to tell Huey and Riley.

The other thing that was holding Caesar back was their age difference. Caesar had never dated someone who was almost three years younger than him, and he didn't know if he liked the idea of people giving them sideways glances when they found out their ages. Normally, Caesar wouldn't care, but this time it was different.

"Well, I think ya should ask her to homecoming, "Riley said, "I mean, what'cha gotta lose? "

Caesar rolled his eyes, "I'll ask her out to the dance if you two can grow some balls and ask out Cindy and Jazmine. "He gave them a cunning smile. Huey smirked, "Fine, it's a deal. "

Riley only nodded in confirmation, "But you better do it, "He added.

* * *

Cindy sat with Jazmine in her bedroom, gazing at magazines with homecoming dresses in them. Homecoming was approaching fast, and the girls still hadn't picked out dresses. And, they still hadn't been asked.

Cindy was sure that Riley was gonna try to ask her, and Jazmine was sure Huey would, too, but they still hadn't made a move. Jazmine contemplated asking Huey herself, but Cindy quickly took that idea out of her head. Now, they laid sprawled on Jazmine's floor, looking into dozens of homecoming-themed magazines and binge watching Gilmore Girls.

"Ugh, why haven't they asked us yet? "Cindy asked, but she was mainly talking to herself. Jazmine shrugged, "Maybe they're nervous. "

Cindy huffed and closed the magazine she'd been reading. She turned over onto her back and began stretching, "You know something, I'm bored as hell. "She said, "We've been staring into these magazines for god knows how long, I wanna get out and do something! "

"Well, like what? "Jazmine asked, shutting her own magazine and standing. Cindy picked up her phone and began flipping through it, looking up places to grab food, "We could go to Taco Bell, "She suggested, but Jazmine made a face and shook her head. "Or we could try…um…, "Cindy was looking for something different, but they had been to almost every fast food stand in their area.

Jazmine groaned and flopped onto her bed, "So basically we're doing nothing tonight but waiting for two boys to ask us out to homecoming? "

Cindy nodded apologetically, "Looks like it. "She shut her phone off and continued to watch Gilmore Girls with Jazmine, even though she knew Jazmine had seen every episode of all the seasons at least twice.

Suddenly, Cindy felt her phone buzz; a text message. She turned it on and looked at the sender, but it was an unknown number. She looked behind her to see Jazmine mesmerized by something on her own phone. Curiously, Cindy unlocked her phone and tapped on the message. He messages popped up on the screen, and it diverged to the message that had just been sent.

Cindy's heart dropped.

There was a picture…THE picture. Several more popped up and Cindy's heartbeat only went faster. Her vision started to blur slightly, but she shook her head and continued to look at all the messages.

Suddenly, a text message that was actually a message appeared.

"I warned you."

Cindy's eyebrow furrowed, she knew exactly who was texting her.

Veronica.

* * *

Veronica laughed like a hyena with Samantha and Vera, her older cousin. They sat in Veronica's room, eye glued to her phone as she sent menacing text messages to Cindy.

"I can't believe you're doing this! "Samantha cackled. Vera wiped tears from her eyes, "Wow Veronica, using blackmail to subdue someone. Evil. I like it. "

"I learned from the best, "Veronica prodded her older cousin in the ribs, causing her to laugh. In truth, it had taken her a while to figure out that the blackmail wasn't even on her phone anymore. When she had finally decided to go through with scaring Cindy, she had checked and none of the images were there. However, she had sent them through text to Vera, who in turn sent them back from her phone per Veronica's request. Now, Veronica was going through with the dastardly deed.

"So, what are you going to do now? "Vera asked. Veronica thought for a moment, "Hmm, well, I know of a certain someone that would love to see these…, "She went to her Instagram and pulled up Riley's profile.

"No way, isn't that the boy Cindy's dating? "Vera asked. Samantha scoffed, "Dating? I doubt it. "

Veronica laughed again, "I know he'd love to see what Cindy's been doing behind his back. This'll get interesting…, "

Meanwhile, Venus peered into Veronica's room from the door, that had been left open a crack. She glared at her sister and Veronica, and Veronica's annoying friend, Samantha. Suddenly, she heard Veronica say that she was preparing to send the pictures to Riley. Without thinking, she burst into the room, "Wait! "

The trio turned to glare at her from their positions on the floor, "Venus, what are you doing in here? "Vera demanded, standing up to her length of five eight, "I thought you were downstairs. "

"I was, "Venus snapped back, balling her fists, "What are you doing? "

"That's none of your concern, "Vera hissed. She walked up to Venus and stared her down. She knew that her sister couldn't be so easily moved or shaken; she was a fighter, she'd always been a fighter. The only thing Vera could do to make Venus leave would be to move her by force.

So, she pushed her.

"Hey! "Venus swung an arm out to hit her sister, but she missed and smacked Samantha in the face, who had gotten up to try and help Vera in getting rid of Venus. Samantha yelped and went down, hitting her head against the floor. Venus did not hesitate, she swung out again and struck Vera in the chest. Vera made a noise and moved away. Veronica typed furiously on her phone just as Venus tried to attack her, but Vera grabbed her by her hair and flung her back. Venus hit the door, hard, but she quickly got back up and attacked Vera, grabbing a discarded shoe from the ground and using it to slap Vera across her face.

Vera screamed in pain and retreated with Samantha. Venus, still hanging on to the shoe, marched up to Veronica and grabbed her by the shoulder. She dropped the shoe and delivered a blow to Veronica's face, her fist connecting with Veronica's jaw. Veronica made a small grunting noise and dropped her phone onto the floor, and Venus swooped down to swiftly retrieve it. She backed away towards the door and opened it, her eyes trained on the screen in horror.

Veronica had just sent a large file to Riley.

A file that contained all of the pictures of Cindy, along with a typed message that read "Look for yourself".

Venus gasped and turned around, glaring at the three girls, who were recovering from Venus's attack, "How could you? "She asked spitefully. Veronica sneered, "Give me back my phone, "She demanded. However, her eyes flickered with worriment, as if she was actually evaluating what was going on. But Venus didn't care.

Venus clenched the phone in her hand, "How could you?! "She demanded again, practically screaming. Without a second thought, she slammed the phone into the wall next to her with all her might, and she heard a satisfying crack. The phone crumbled in her hands, and she winces slightly as the glass cut into her fingers. She pried open the back of the phone and took out the battery, snapping it in two, and tossed it to the side. She then pried out the SD card and attempted to tear it to shreds, but was satisfied with stomping on it just as Veronica snapped.

Vera and Samantha gasped and Veronica lunged at Venus. Venus threw the broken phone at Veronica, and she was barely able to shield her face from the shards as they rained on her. The phone landed on the ground, broken and useless. Venus raced out the door as quickly as she could, and before Veronica could attack again, Vera pulled her back.

Venus ran down the stairs and passed her mother and aunt, who were sitting in the living room. They didn't bother asking what was wrong, they had heard the girls fighting and pretended that they hadn't. Venus rushed out the front door and towards her mother's car, trying to pry open the driver's door, but then she stopped as she realized she couldn't drive.

She turned around and leaned against the car door, sinking to the floor. She stared at her cut up and bloodied hand and pried out a few shards of glass that had latched into her skin. Angrily, she slammed her other hand against the car and winced at the pain. She wiped away her sweat and leaned her head back, catching her breath. It was then that she began taking in what had happened, and she knew she and her friends were screwed.

She buried her face into her knees and cried.

* * *

 **I based Veronica's whole "exposing" scene on a couple of similar scenarios that have happened at my school this past semester. It didn't end too well. I also based Vera and Venus's sister relationship on two girls that I know, although the two girls are twins. But they have a really bad sister relationship where they're both always trying to practically destroy each other for whatever reason and can't stand to even be together.**

 **xoxoxo, Queen**


	11. Kissed

**Here's a long overdue update.**

* * *

Riley stormed into school, Huey in tow. The night before, Veronica had sent him several images of Cindy getting down and dirty with some guy…and the pictures looked very recent.

"Just stop, calm down, "Huey tried, but Riley blew him off, "Naw man, she was playin' me! The whole damn time! "His voice was so loud it attracted the attention of all the other people around them in the hallway. They turned to stare at the two as Riley stomped through the hall with a defeated Huey following him. Riley felt his phone beep, and he looked at it. Another message from Cindy.

Riley ignored it.

"You don't know that, "Huey insisted, "This could've been before we even met her. "Huey was trying to talk some sense into his brother, but he had to admit that this all looked really bad for Cindy.

"And how are you so sure? "Riley demanded. Huey couldn't reply; he wasn't sure at all, he was just trying to get Riley to shut up.

Riley got another message from Cindy, "And she keeps fucking texting me! "He exclaimed. "Well, she's gonna, "Huey replied, "She just wants to talk. "

"Talk my ass. "Riley huffed. Riley was more than angry. In the back of his mind, he knew that he really couldn't be all that angry at her if this was taken before theyy were ever talking. But, he couldn't be so sure if they were older pictures.

Venus turned around from her locker as she spotted Huey and Riley. Riley was practically fuming and Huey looked tired and worried. She shut her locker door and chased after them, "Huey, Riley! "She called out. She caught up to them quickly, but she had to keep up with them as they continued to walk faster. Venus wanted to scream at them, but she didn't.

She felt another body next to hers, "What's going on? "The voice sent chills down her spine.

Venus only glanced at him for a moment, "Something big, "She replied. She quickened her pace to catch up to Riley, "Riley, wait! "She tried, but Riley wasn't listening to her or to anyone else. Finally, she jumped in front of him, causing him, Huey, and Caesar to abruptly stop.

"Damn, what's yo deal?! "Riley practically yelled. Caesar wanted to punch him for that. Caesar felt like he needed to protect Venus from all of this, but she seemed to be caught right in the middle.

Venus huffed, catching her breath, "Look, I know why your upset, "She began. Riley furrowed his brows, "You telling me you knew something about this? "He asked, his teeth gritting together. Venus stood up straighter, "A little. I knew what Veronica was up to. "

"You mean what Cindy was up to, "Riley corrected angrily. He looked passed Venus, "Speak of the fucking devil. "

Venus turned around and spotted Cindy and Jazmine making their way over to them. Cindy looked like she'd been up all night crying; her eyes were puffy and red and her hair was pulled back into a messy bun. Jazmine didn't look any better, she wore sweats and an oversized sweater. Her normally pushed back hair was wild around her face.

"What do you want? "Riley asked icily as they approached. Cindy hiccuped, "Hear me out, Riley, "She tried, but Riley cut her off, "Nah, I don't wanna hear anything you have to say! "

"You're overreacting! "Huey snapped. Riley glared at him, "How would you handle the situation then? "He demanded. "Not like this, "Huey shot back, "I have more maturity in me. "

"Don't give me that bullshit, "Riley began to walk away, but he was stopped by Jazmine, "Just hear her out, Riley, "She said. Huey approached her, "Jazmine, I'll deal with this, "He got in between her and Riley. Jazmine pushed him out of the way, "Cindy's my best friend, I'm gonna be involved in this. "She said, crossing her arms over her chest. Huey pinched the bridge of his nose, "Jazmine…, "he didn't want Jazmine to make things worse. He knew that she was only trying to help, but she didn't know Riley like he did. He knew his brother, and Riley would most likely say something stupid and offend Jazmine.

"Riley! "Venus practically yelled. Riley turned to look at her, "What?! "

Venus took in a deep breath, "I was there. "

"What?! "Everyone gasped in unison. Venus winced, "What do you mean you were there?! "Jazmine demanded, approaching Venus. Huey grabbed her shoulder. Venus continued to stand straight, "I said I was there. I went over to Veronica's house with my sister and I walked in on them trying to message Riley. "The group gave her wide eyes and gaped mouths.

"Why didn't you stop them? "Caesar asked in disbelief. Venus glared at him, "I tried! But Veronica's stupid friend was there and helped Vera in trying to beat me up. I broke her phone, "Venus produced her glass cut hand, "But I was too late. "

"That's no excuse for Cindy, "Riley turned his attention back to her, "Why? Why did ya do it? "He felt his stomach tumbling inside him and his heart clenched together. Cindy looked at the floor, not saying anything. Jazmine noticed this and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"She-, "Jazmine began, but Huey cut her off, "Jazmine, this isn't your fight. "

Jazmine threw her hands up, "Yes Huey, it is! Cindy is MY best friend; her fights are my fights! "She glared at Huey. Huey scoffed, "Jazmine, be a little mature about this. "

"Mature?! "Jazmine hollered, "I am mature! "

"And yet you're screaming at me in the middle of the hallway! "Huey shot back. Jazmine looked around them, realizing that she was screaming at Huey. Dozens of eyes peered at them from behind locker doors and phones. Jazmine felt her face heat up and she turned back to Huey. She felt like crying, she was so embarrassed.

Riley gave Cindy a hard look, "Just get outta here, "He muttered. Cindy felt like her heart had been ripped right out of her chest. She narrowed her eyes, "Fine, whatever you want, "She replied, gritting her teeth together. She swiveled on her heel and stormed off, grabbing Jazmine's arm and pulling her along. If she hadn't had gotten into a heated argument with Huey, she would've tried to have made Cindy wait. She would've kept the argument going, she would've tried to get Riley to listen to Cindy's explanation.

Instead, she glared at Huey, and he glared right back, fists clenched.

Jazmine allowed herself to be pulled into a crowd of kids by Cindy.

Venus turned to the brothers and Caesar. Riley's face was beating red and he looked extremely mad and sad at the same time. Huey's facial expressions softened for a moment, like he was regretting what he had said to Jazmine.

Huey was regretting what he'd said to her, very much so. He knew her intentions were good, and he shut her down. The three boys looked at Venus, who looked like she wanted to punch all of them, "What the hell is y'alls problem? "She asked, shaking her head. Before they could answer, she had turned around and walked away from them.

"Venus, wait! "Caesar called after her, chasing her down the hall.

Riley and Huey stood there for a moment. As the bystanders realized that the scene was over, they began to go about their daily lives, swarming around the halls. Riley's fists unclenched and he sighed, "I can be so stupid sometimes, "He mumbled to himself.

Huey only nodded. The bell rang, and they separated.

* * *

Caesar met up with Venus after school. She was obviously still mad at what had happened earlier that day, and Caesar couldn't blame her. It had been a huge mess, and he had little to no say in anything. He had tried to catch up with her after she'd walked away, but he lost her in the crowd. He went the whole day worried about her, worried that she'd be angry at him for not helping her.

He found her by some benches that overlooked the football field. She was sitting down, her hair tied back into a long pony tail. She had taken off the Wuncler blazer and had unbuttoned her shirt, revealing a white Nike sports bra underneath. She didn't look at him as he sat down next to her.

"Listen, "He began, but she started talking.

"This is a mess, "She admitted. Finally, she turned to look at him, tears brimming in her eyes, "It's my fault, "She then added, wiping a tear from her cheek, "I didn't make it into the room in time to stop Veronica. She's ruined Cindy and Riley. "

"No, Venus, she hasn't. "Caesar shook his head, "Riley just needs to cool down a little. He'll be back to talking to Cindy in no time. "

"How can you be sure? "Venus inquired, arching a brow. Caesar shrugged, "I haven't known him long, but he doesn't seem like the kinda guy to hold grudges forever. Besides, he really likes that girl. I'm totally sure they'll bounce back in no time. "he was trying to believe the words he was saying.

Venus chuckled and rubbed her head, "I guess. "

They sat there in silence for a moment.

Venus felt her heart racing as Caesar sat by her. He smelled good, like he was fresh out of the shower. She could practically feel his body heat, and they were only a few inches apart from each other. Slowly, she scooted a little closer to him, pulling her purse up to her side and pretending to shuffle through it. She racked her mind with ideas on conversations she could start to make Caesar stay, but nothing was coming to mind.

Caesar felt his face heat up slightly. He glanced around to see if anyone was there, but no one was. Casually, Caesar lifted up his left arm and placed it around Venus, pulling her towards him. He rubbed her shoulder, "Things seem really bad right now, I know how ya feel, but it'll only get better, "Venus looked up at him, face flushed, and stared into his warm eyes. He smiled at her, a genuine smile.

Without thinking, Venus leaned up and pecked him on the cheek. Realizing what she had done, she tried to back away, "Oh, I-I'm so sorry, "She stuttered. She mentally slapped herself for being so bold.

Caesar paused for a moment to process what had happened, but his thoughts were jumbled together as he stared at Venus. He reached out with his right hand to caress her hair. God, he thought, she's so beautiful.

Without much thought or warning, he leaned down and kissed her. It was just a small kiss, dainty, on the lips, but it sent thousands of electric shocks through Caesar's body. Venus felt as if her body was on fire as soon as his lips touched hers. It was magical. She had never kissed anybody like that before.

Caesar pulled away and looked into the eyes of an embarrassed Venus, whose face was redder than a tomato. But her eyes, they were clear as the sky; a beautiful, purple sky.

Quickly, she picked up her things and pulled her blazer over her, barely covering her exposed stomach, "W-well, I-I'll see you tomorrow then, "She said a little too quickly. Caesar stood up, embarrassed as well, and grabbed his own things, "Oh, yeah, tomorrow, "He rubbed the back of his head absently and gave her an awkward smile.

His smile sent chills down her spine, all the way to her stomach, until it was knotted up and was ready to burst. She gave him an awkward smile in return and hurried off. Caesar watched her go; she circled around the school and was gone.

Caesar slumped back against the bench, leaned forward and placing his head in his hands. He rubbed his face and groaned, "Damn it Caesar, she's just a kid herself, barely a freshman, "He stared at the ground, "What the hell were you doing? "he felt like punching himself, but he wouldn't. All he could think about was the kiss he'd given Venus.

Venus leaned against the school wall and sank to the ground. Her heart beat so fast it was hard to breathe, "He's going to be eighteen before you know it, "She mumbled to herself, "What the hell were you doing? "

* * *

Huey entered Chick-Fil-A at ten at night.

It was odd being at a fast food place like this during the night, it only seemed to be open during the day. There were a few customers and workers lingering about, but it was otherwise silent inside. Huey sat down at a table, not bothering to order anything. He knew he wouldn't be there for long, at least he hoped he wouldn't be. He was there for a reason, and he was not leaving until all of his questions had been answered.

As usual, he got stared at. This time, it was because he had walked into a well known fast food place and hadn't ordered anything. Huey kept his eyes glued to his phone.

He heard a bell ding, meaning that another customer had come in. Glancing up, he saw her.

Veronica took a seat across from him. She wore a crop top and a pair of shorts, making sure she showed off extra body. Her hair was pulled back into a bun, similar to Jazmine's, only hers was much smaller. Her eyes were glinting and she gave him a seductive smile.

"I never thought I'd get a call from you, Huey, "She cooed. Then, she chuckled, "Must be getting bored of that four eyed mulatto girl. "she licked her lips and giggled.

Huey shot her a look, "I'm not here to flirt with you, Veronica. I'm here to ask you why. "

"Why what? "She leaned forward, making sure to let her shirt slip down so that more cleavage showed. Huey didn't even fidget or flinch, "Why you sent Riley those pictures of Cindy, "He replied coolly.

Veronica sat back and huffed, getting the hint that she wasn't going to be getting anything from Huey. She crossed her arms over her chest, "Because, I had a deal with her, "Veronica replied; her voice changed from its sing-song tone to a more serious one, "And she didn't keep her end of the bargain. So, I exposed her. Case closed. "

"You didn't expose her, "Huey frowned, "You ruined her relationship with Riley, and you know that those pictures were from before Riley. "

Veronica shrugged, "Maybe, maybe not. All Riley knows is that his little girlfriend got a little too friendly with other guys. Besides, I know for a fact they were taken recently. "She shot him a wicked grin that made Huey's guts churn. He didn't like her smile one bit. Her smile was evil.

"I suppose that's all you've come here for, "Veronica arched a thin brow. Huey shrugged, "I might as well buy some food before I go, "He said, standing. Veronica stood with him, "I'll join you, I'm starving. "

They ordered their food and sat back down. Huey noticed that Veronica wasn't on her phone, and then he remembered what Venus had said. "So, I heard you got beat up by your cousin, "He mocked. It actually made him chuckle. Veronica frowned this time, sucking her cheeks in, "What do you mean? "She asked.

"I know Venus broke your phone, "He replied simply. A waiter brought their food and they began to eat, "Venus is a fighter. "

"Yes, "Veronica sneered, "She's always been a fighter. Her sister, Vera, is far better than Venus will ever be. "

Huey laughed, "It sounds like Vera is a lot like you. She must be awful. "

Veronica only gave him a tight smile, "Please Huey, I thought you were more civilized that this. I didn't know you got kicks out of other people's problems. "Huey shook his head, "You're low, Veronica, you stooped too low this time. You hurt my brother. You don't deserve to be treated civilly right now. And, I usually don't find things like this funny. But in your case, yes; it's very funny. "

Veronica rolled her eyes, "Riley will get over her soon enough. "

"No, see, he won't, "Huey shot back, "I know him, and he's got it bad for Cindy. This might be just a setback in their relationship, but I know how he feels about her. "

"And…he knows about how you feel about…Jazmine? "Veronica asked innocently. Huey felt his face grow slightly red, "My relationship with Jazmine is none of your concern. "

"Oh, I heard about your little fight this morning, "Veronica gave him a sinister smile, "You're so good at telling someone to grow up. "

Huey mentally slapped himself. Of course Veronica knew about it, it was probably plastered all over social media. Veronica tilted her head sideways slightly, "You're an easy book to read, Huey, "She said. Huey leaned back a little, "What they hell are you talking about? "He demanded.

Veronica chuckled, "I see it in your eyes, you can't hide it from me. "She leaned in a little further, "You want things that you know Jazmine can't give you. You've been talking to her for how long now, and I bet you haven't even kissed her. "

Huey felt his face heat up for sure this time, "I'm not with her for any personal gain, Veronica, "He hissed back, "I actually have feelings for her. "

"Sure, feelings, "Veronica only smiled back. Huey felt awkward now. He leaned forwards to take another bite of his sandwich, when Veronica did the unexpected.

She leaned in and kissed him forcefully, crashing her lips onto his. Huey instantly pulled back, "What the hell?! "He nearly yelled. He picked up his things and threw them away, walking out of the door. Veronica only smiled to herself. She knew someone was watching.

A few tables away, blocked from view, sat a familiar face.

Hiro.

He stared at his phone screen, face aghast.

He had just witnessed Veronica and Huey kissing. And he'd taken a picture of it. He waited until Veronica had left before he exited the building. He called the only person he could.

"Ming? You won't believe this…, "

* * *

 **Trying to update as much as I can.**

 **xoxoxo, Queen**


	12. Forgiveness

**The continuation of Wuncler Academy**

* * *

Ming and Venus sat together in front of the school. It was early, very early, which meant that not many students were on campus. A few trickled into the building in pairs, but there was no one outside. It was still dark, too; sunrise hadn't happened yet, although the sky was turning from a dark bluish black to a lighter shade. The lights in the school were on, illuminating the courtyard and walkways.

Venus hadn't told anyone about what had happened between her and Caesar the day previous. After she had gotten home, Vera had given her the cold shoulder the entire night. Of course, her mother was too oblivious to even notice that something was amiss, but Venus knew her mother probably didn't care.

"I don't know if we should do this, "Venus finally spoke. Ming looked at her shoes, "I know, but we have to. "

"Things are already bad right now, I don't think they've even spoken since yesterday, "Venus pointed out. Ming shook her head, "We still have to tell her. She deserves to know the truth. "Ming had told Venus about what Hiro had told her right after it happened. Venus had been hiding from Vera in her room when Ming called and spilled the gossip to her. Venus was shocked and angry and confused all at the same time.

Venus sighed and looked up at the sky. A few more students trailed inside, carrying sports gear and backpacks. They knew that Cindy and Jazmine were probably already somewhere in the building, since they were both in sports. Riley was probably there, too, and Huey could possibly be with him. Venus decided to speak to Ming.

"Hey, Ming, "She began slowly, thinking about what she was going to say.

"Hmm? "Ming cracked her neck.

"So, I have something to ask. "Venus was stalling, but she was still deciding. Ming nodded, "What? "

Venus took in a deep breath, "You've met Caesar before, right? "She asked. Ming shrugged, "He's Huey and Riley's friend, right? "Ming quirked up a brow. Venus nodded, gulping. Her throat was dry, she needed some water.

"Well, we've been…talking….and-, "She didn't get to finish before Ming shot up, "No way, are you two dating?! "Ming sounded almost excited. Venus's face turned red, "No! No, nothing like that…yet…, "She leaned forward and propped her elbows on her legs, setting her face into her hands, "But, yesterday…we…kissed. "

Ming made a noise that sounded like a squeal, "Did he kiss you? "She inquired. Venus blushed again, "Well, I kissed him first. I didn't mean to, I was just…caught up in the moment. But he kissed me back. "

Ming grinned, "I didn't think you had a heart, Venus. You've always been so tough. "

"Look at my family, "Venus muttered, sitting up. She crossed her arms over her chest, "I kind of have to be. Especially with Vera and Veronica ganging up on me since the other day when I broke Veronica's phone. "

Ming nodded, "Well, what do you think? "

"What do you mean? "Venus glanced at her nervously.

"What do you think about you and him…possibly dating? "Ming knew it was a stretch. She had never seen Venus romantically involved with anyone. Venus had mentioned past boyfriends before, but nothing that ever lasted. Venus was no saint, for sure, she had done her fair share of bad things in life. But, Caesar was older, and probably far more experienced than Venus, even if Venus wouldn't admit it.

Venus began messing with her skirt, "I've thought about it, "She answered after a moment, "But…I don't know if he'd ask me out. "

"He kissed you, that's gotta mean something, "Ming stated. Venus shrugged, "Maybe. Or maybe he was just caught up in the moment. "

Ming sighed. Venus was one to overthink everything. "Well, you won't know until you try something, "She went on, "I'm positive he at least likes you. "

Venus was pretty positive about that, too. She remembered when she'd first met him; he had stared at her for a straight minute and dropped everything he was holding. The thought of him liking her sent butterflies into her stomach.

The sun rose, and the sky got lighter. More students were showing up. Venus hopped down from her seat and looked at Ming, "Well, if we're gonna do this, we have to do it today. "

"Agreed, "Ming joined her, standing. They grabbed their things from the ground, "I just hope we can help fix this. "She added.

They headed into the school.

* * *

Huey had not seen Jazmine since the day before. He knew she was avoiding him, but he was trying desperately to find her and apologize so they could move on from this. Huey had confided in Riley about the kiss, and Riley swore he'd never tell anyone.

Riley was also seeking to apologize with Cindy. After really thinking about it, he knew he'd overreacted, and was set on finding her and telling her face to face that he was sorry. However, she hadn't responded to any of the texts he'd sent the night before, and she never answered her phone when he'd called.

They headed into the cafeteria, where they instantly found Caesar. Caesar was dying to tell them about Venus, but he knew it would have to wait.

"Hey man, all's good? "Caesar asked. Huey nodded, "We just need to find them now, "He replied. Caesar nodded, "I haven't seen them since yesterday. Get this, someone recorded part of the fight and it landed on Facebook. Got a couple thousands views and shares. "

Huey groaned, "Of course it did, "He muttered.

Meanwhile, Venus and Ming entered the cafeteria. They had told the girls to meet them during their lunch hour, and they were currently waiting. Venus was practically hyperventilating as they scanned the room. Finally, Ming spotted a familiar blonde head next to a large, strawberry blonde afro.

"There they are, "Ming pointed. She and Venus weaved through the crowd towards the girls.

Huey was still scanning the room. "I don't see her, "He mumbled to himself. Riley searched as well, "They gotta be here somewhere. "

Caesar turned his head slightly and spotted Venus's silver hair. "Hey, I see Venus…and Ming, "He pointed them out to Huey and Riley. They followed Caesar's finger to the two girls, who were bobbing through the crowd. It looked like they were headed somewhere specific.

Huey followed them with his eyes, and looked a few feet in front of them.

Cindy and Jazmine sat together at a table, eating. He realized the girls were headed right for them, "They're going for Jazmine and Cindy. "He said.

"Cindy's here? "Riley felt his heart skip a beat. He spotted Cindy's blonde hair pulled back into another messy bun. He could barely make out her face, but she didn't look any better than the day before.

Venus and Ming approached the girls cautiously. Jazmine spotted them, "Hey guys, "She said warmly, smiling. It made Venus want to turn around and forget about their mission, but she felt like it would be wrong to leave Jazmine in the dark about the situation.

Neither she nor Ming had noticed the boys, who were trying to weave their way through the crowd towards them.

"Listen, Jazmine, "Venus began, "We…we have something to tell you. "

She instantly caught the attention of both girls. Jazmine looked slightly concerned, "About what? "She asked. Venus looked at Ming, and Ming only glanced back and Cindy and Jazmine, who looked equally confused. Jazmine set down her fork to pay even more attention to them.

"What are they talking about? "Riley arched a brow. He was following his brother and Caesar towards the girls. Venus and Ming had stopped in front of them and were talking to them, but he couldn't make out what they were saying, "Well, we can ask them. "Huey replied. Caesar felt his heartbeat quicken as he neared Venus. Their kiss had made him feel so alive, more than he had ever felt before with anyone.

Suddenly, they heard Jazmine gasp. She clasped her hands to her mouth, and Cindy did a similar expression. Venus then glanced sideways and spotted Caesar. Eyes widening, she turned to face him, Huey, and Riley. She grabbed Ming by the arm and pointed at the trio, as if she was signaling to Ming.

Jazmine and Cindy followed her finger and spotted the boys. Jazmine's eyes narrowed. Huey felt his stomach drop, he knew something bad had just happened. He and Riley approached with Caesar behind them, "What's going on? I've been looking all over for you, "Huey began, but Jazmine cut him off.

"So, thought I wouldn't find out, huh? "She stood up and crossed her arms over her chest angrily. Huey looked confused, "Find out what? "He inquired. He turned to Venus, who backed away into Caesar. Startled, she sidestepped towards Ming.

Cindy looked just as pissed as Jazmine. Standing, she glared at Huey and Riley, "Were you in on it? "She asked Riley accusingly. Both girls were now fuming, practically ready to explode.

Suddenly, they knew what Jazmine and Cindy were talking about.

"Jazmine, listen, "Huey tried, but Jazmine blew him off, "No way, Huey. "She backed up as he tried to touch her, "What's wrong with you? "She demanded, "Of all people, why Veronica? "

"She kissed me, Jazmine, "Huey insisted, "Swear to god, I did not kiss her. "

"Oh, but you let her kiss you, right? "Jazmine shot back. Huey furrowed his brow, "No, Jazmine, I pushed her away. "He felt his eye twitch, he was angry. But, he needed to get Jazmine to believe him.

"And you knew, "Cindy turned to Riley, who instantly began to defend himself, "Huey barely told me last night. "He felt a jab to his side, delivered by Huey. Cindy looked defeated.

"Listen Jazmine, it was a mistake. "Huey insisted, "A mistake? "She laughed, "How is that a mistake? "Huey didn't know how to respond. He knew that he didn't want to kiss Veronica, but Jazmine didn't know that. And the fact that they had just gotten into an argument the day before didn't help.

"Jazmine, you're overreacting, "He said, "I didn't want to kiss her, okay? She kissed me. Besides, its not like we're together. "

Huey instantly regretted what he had just said. He could see the anger on her face change to a mixture of sadness and rage. She looked hurt, very hurt. Huey sighed, rubbing his head, "No, that's not what I meant. "He tried to apologize, but there was no fixing this now.

"No, you're right, "Jazmine's voice sounded icy, as if she was trying to stab him with her words, "We aren't together, "And with that, she stormed off, an angry Cindy behind her. Venus stood in shock with Ming, mouth agape. She had never imagined that Jazmine would react this way.

Huey was hurt, nonetheless. He watched Jazmine walk away with Cindy, and it felt like his soul had been ripped out of his body. Riley took off after Cindy, pushing people aside to get through the thick crowd. After a moment of realization, Huey bounded after him.

Venus and Ming were left with Caesar. Ming grabbed ahold of Venus and began to pull her away from the scene. Venus looked at Caesar, who wasn't even paying attention to her. He was staring in the direction that Riley and Huey had gone. Knowing that she blew it, she left with Ming.

Huey and Riley followed the girls into the hallway, but were only met by screams from the two. As a group of teens separated the four, Huey and Riley found each other again and went after the girls, only to find that they had intermingled with the crowd and were gone. Huey stood in the now empty hallway with Riley, who looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn't.

Huey balled his fists up, "Damn it, "He whispered to himself. Riley fiddled with a cornrow absently, taking in the events that had just transcribed, "What do we do now? "He asked. Huey shook his head, "I don't know. We keep trying, I guess. "

"Bruh, are you okay? "Riley asked, genuinely concerned. He had never seen Huey like this before, not over a girl. Huey shook his head again, "No, I'm not okay. I won't be until I…, "He trailed off. Sighing, he walked towards a wall and punched it, hard. "What the hell was I thinking? I should have never said that to Jazmine! "

Caesar approached them, "Guys are y'all okay? "he sounded genuinely concerned for his two friends. Riley shook his head. As he did so, Venus came from behind Caesar, startling them, "What do you want? "Riley demanded, angry. Venus felt his rage seething off of him, but she stood her ground, "Hiro saw you kissing Veronica last night, "she said abruptly, "He told Ming, and Ming told me. It was our idea to tell Jazmine because we felt that it would be wrong to not tell her. "

Huey sighed, "Why did you even met her? "Venus then asked curiously, "What was your motive? "

Riley arched a brow, "I wondered that too, "he admitted. Huey sighed, "I met with Veronica because I wanted to know why; why she did what she did, why she thought it would be okay to just ruin someone's relationship. I never meant for the kiss to happen, it happened so suddenly I didn't even process it. "he rubbed his head, "Now that I think about it, I'm betting she kissed me on purpose. She must've seen Hiro there, and she knew he'd tell someone. "

It made sense. "Veronica is very manipulative. She'll do whatever she has to if it means she gets what she wants. "

"Why does she have it our for us? "Riley then asked, "We barely spoke to her and her friend when we first got here. "Venus shrugged, "You're different. Different than most other boys. And, to them, this is just like a game. "

"A game? "Huey arched his brow. Venus nodded, "Everything's a game to Veronica. Everything has a prize, everything has a winner, and Veronica loves to make sure she's the one winning. She probably began pursing y'all after she realized Jazmine had a thing for Huey. "Venus smoothed out her hair, "In case you haven't noticed, Veronica is competitive. She's always been competitive of Jazmine since they first met. She just wants to prove that she's better than her. "

Riley sighed, "No offense, but yo cousins has some serious issues, "he chuckled. Venus smiled as well, "I know, I've known this since we were young. She was always competitive with our other cousins, and even my sister. "

Venus wasn't at all hurt by their comments about Veronica. She knew her cousin was a whack job. She felt an arm loop around her shoulders and pull her close to a body; Caesar, "Let's just go to class, "he said, "Well find them after school. "Riley and Huey weren't really fazed at all by Caesar's sudden act in the slightest. Instead, they only nodded and walked their separate ways. Caesar pulled Venus along with him, "What are you doing? "she asked worriedly. Caesar only gave her a half smile. They stopped by a group of lockers that were currently unoccupied by anyone.

"I know yesterday was kinda awkward, "Caesar admitted. Venus blushed deeply. "But, I couldn't stop thinking about it last night, or this morning. "Venus nodded; neither had she. "And, I don't know if you really feel the same about me, but I have to try, "he gave her another wry half-smile. Venus gulped, and her stomach churned with excitement. Caesar grabbed one of her hands and pulled it towards his lips, giving her a small kiss on the outer part of her hand.

"I know our ages are kinda...off. But, w-would you...go out with me? "he said the last part in one, fast breath. When Venus didn't immediately reply, he was worried that she hadn't even heard him because he had said it so fast. Caesar thought to himself, _oh my god, she didn't hear me! Should I ask again?_

But then, she smiled. She leaned upwards and kissed his cheek, "Yes, I'll go out with you. "

* * *

Huey and Riley had parted ways after school and were now waiting for Jazmine and Cindy. They had asked Ming to tell the two to meet them in certain locations, and from what Ming had said, they had agreed. Riley waited at the basketball courts for Cindy. He had changed from his uniform to a par of baggy jeans and a wife beater with Timbs. He had stuffed his uniform into his backpack.

Huey sat in a small sitting area on the other side of the school. He had only taken off the tie and blazer, and had untucked his shirt and unbuttoned it a few buttons towards the top. He fiddled with his fingers as he awaited Jazmine. Every time the doors to the school opened, he would look up, hoping that she would pop out. But, it would turn out to not be her, and he was left waiting again.

Cindy was the first to show up. She met Riley at the basketball courts. She had also changed from her uniform into a pair of running shorts and a purple t-shirt, and she also carried a large backpack. She stood a few feet from him, but he had his head down, and he didn't see her. She was contemplating on turning back around, but by the time she had finished deciding, Riley looked up and spotted her. "Cindy, "he said, standing. Cindy gave him a small smile. He signaled for her to sit with him on the bench he'd been sitting on. Cindy complied, although there was an awkward sensation as she sat down next to him.

There was another moment of awkward silence, "Listen, Cin, "he began, "yesterday was pretty bad. I said some things I shouldn't have. Today wasn't any better, I know. "he turned to look at her, "I know you're still angry, "Cindy then said, "And I don't blame you. "

"I just have one question, "he added. Cindy felt her body tense up; she knew what he was going to ask. "When were those pictures taken? "he asked. Cindy sighed, "What happened in those pictures happened a few days after we first met, "she admitted, "Jazmine doesn't even know. I went to a friend's house, we got drunk, and next thing I know I'm waking up and everyone there is telling be about what happened. "she looked at the floor, "I don't even remember much of it. "

"Wait, couldn't that be like, rape or somethin'? "Riley now sounded worried, "I mean, if you were drunk, aren't there like laws against that shit? "Cindy chuckled, "I know you're worried, but you don't need to be. I wasn't hurt, just embarrassed. "

Riley then nodded, "Okay. "

They sat there for a moment longer in silence. Finally, Riley reached out and grabbed her hand, intertwining his own fingers with hers, "I don't care when it happened, Cin, "he said sincerely. He looked at her, into her blue eyes the color of the sky. He licked his lips, "Just don't do it again. "Cindy couldn't help but giggle. He scooted her closer to him and she rested her head on his shoulder, "Okay, "was all she said.

Meanwhile, Jazmine had just found Huey outside. As she was approaching him, she was planning on leaving without giving into whatever lies he was planning on telling her. But, the closer she got, the less confident she became. Huey looked up and spotted her, "Jaz, "he gave her a half-smile that made her melt. She, however, kept a straight face and sat next to him roughly. Huey sensed her tension. "Listen, I need to apologize, "he began.

Jazmine rolled her eyes, "Yeah, okay, "she said in a sarcastic tone. Huey furrowed his brow, "I know you're still mad, but-, "

"Oh, what makes you think that? "she demanded, standing. Her skirt blew up with the wind, and she pushed it back down, "You're damn right I'm mad! "she continued on. Huey stood up as well, towering over her, "Jaz, can I just-, "

"Well you even said it, we're not together, "she cut him off again, "So I guess there's no reason for you to apologize to me. "she felt like she was on the brink of tears, but she forced herself to not cry. Huey looked down at her. He could see her body shaking, but he couldn't tell if it was because she was angry or because she was crying. Nonetheless, he reached out and touched her afro, "I've always loved you hair, "he mused. Jazmine froze, "What? "she looked up at him with emerald eyes.

"It's one of my favorite things about the way you look, "he continued, "Next are your eyes, "he traced a finger alongside her temple, "I've never seen eyes as green as yours. "Jazmine blushed, but she couldn't look away from his gaze. Without thinking, she reached over and grabbed his hand. Huey gave a small smile, "I'm sorry about what happened, "he began, "I'm sorry for what I said yesterday, and for what happened today. Honest to god Jaz, I didn't kiss her. I didn't want to kiss her. "

Jazmine felt the tears coming on, "I know, "She breathed, "I know how Veronica is, but it just made me so..., "

"Mad? "Huey arched a brow. Jazmine nodded, "Yeah, mad. "Huey caressed her face. A gust of wind caused Jazmine to move closer to him as she tried to keep her skirt from riding up with the wind. Huey took this as a chance. Without saying anything, he leaned down and planted a small kiss on her forehead. She looked up at him with gleaming eyes that were vying for more. Huey used his index finger and thumb to place under her chin and lift her face closer to his. Jazmine stood on her tiptoes and closed her eyes as Huey planted a small kiss on her lips.

It was small, but the fire was there. Huey couldn't control himself anymore, and he deepened the kiss. Jazmine wrapped her arm around his neck to pull herself up more. He took one arm and wrapped it around her waist, while the other held on to her cheek. After a moment, the two simultaneously pulled away to catch their breath. Jazmine then smiled.

"Wanna go get some food? "she then asked. Huey grinned and picked up his things, "Of course. "he grabbed her hand as the two began walking, and she laced her fingers into his. She began to think to herself: _Huey and Jazmine, Jazmine and Huey. I like the sound of that._

* * *

 **I decided to add in a forgiveness scene because I really didn't want to continue the whole fight all that much. I like this better.**

 **xoxo, Queen**


	13. A Broken Queen

**Here's a slightly different chapter that tells the story no one was ever told.**

* * *

'She says beauty is pain and there's beauty in everything,

What's a little bit of hunger?

I could go a little while longer,

She fades away— '

The music droned on in the glitzed-out bathroom. Everywhere you looked there was nothing but glamour and perfection. There was a makeup rack that held onto makeup palettes, lipsticks, foundations, blushes, and so on. The bathroom curtain was pink, the carpets on the floor were pink, and even the small decorations inside were pink.

Outside of the bathroom was a hall, a long hall with white walls and a high ceiling. The walls were decked out in pictures of family photos and vacation pictures, but one collection of frames were the ones that were the most life-changing.

Most pictures tell a short story, and together, they can create a book—a book on a life, on a subject, or on a belief. These pictures in order told the story that no one had ever heard before, the one that nobody ever bothered to ask, the one that was never cared about.

She glanced at the pictures as she walked by them, eyes glazed over, red and puffy. Her room was a disaster; she'd ripped off pictures from her walls, threw figurines into the wall until they smashed, ripped her sheets off her bed, and she'd thrown open her closet to pull out all her clothes and throw them onto the ground. Her trophies now laid in pieces on the floor. Her pageant crowns were off of their shelves and on the ground, too.

And now she was here, staring at her pictures; the ones that told her story. She hadn't looked at them in a while, mainly because she was too busy trying to remain on top.

The first picture was from when she was born. It was placed in a white frame, like the majority of the other pictures that were on the walls. Her mother was holding onto her, smiling into the camera as she sat on the hospital bed. A man stood next to her, also smiling, but he didn't look quite as happy. And there she was, a newborn, not even named yet. Her mother also looked younger and a lot different from what she looked like now.

This was the first picture she ripped off the wall and let fall to the floor.

 _Smash!_

The second picture was on her first birthday. Her mother was helping her blow out her candle on her small birthday cake. There were several other kids around, all of them smiling and cheering her on. The man, her father, was also in the picture, but he didn't look quite as interested in her blowing out candles on her birthday. He was drinking beer.

 _Smash!_

The third picture was from when she'd first gone to the beach when she was around two. Of course, she didn't remember what had happened, but her mother told her that she'd played in the sand with her cousins and they'd spent the whole day there. In the picture, she was sitting on her mother's lap while a few of her cousins posed with them. Her father wasn't in this one.

 _Smash!_

The fourth picture was from her first time at daycare at around four. Her mother had gotten a new job after her father left them, and she had no one to look after her. So, she sent her to a daycare. The photo was from when her mother had picked her up; she was crying and pleading with her mother to never send her back, but her mother laughed it off as a child's unwillingness to stay away from their parents. But she never bothered to find out what they did to her.

 _Smash!_

The fifth picture was from the summer before she started kindergarten, when she was five. She and her mother went to Disneyworld with her grandmother and cousins and aunts, all of whom were also in the picture. They stood in front of the princess castle. She was wearing a princess dress and a plastic crown, but she was smiling.

 _Smash!_

In the sixth picture, her mother had just cut her hair herself. She was about six, and she was crying because her mother had accidentally cut her hair too short, and now she looked like Dora. Her mother wasn't in the picture, it was just her. She remembered how when she went to school, all the kids made fun of her for her new hairdo, and she pushed a kid into the mud on the playground and cut off another girl's hair after they'd tried to slam her head against the slide.

 _Smash!_

In the seventh picture, she was standing with her mother and her newly returned father in New York. Her mother had won the trip from her job, and all three went. But from what she remembered, there wasn't merriment during the trip, not that much. She remembered the trip returning home early because her mother's arm broke. She swore up, down, left, and right that she'd fallen down the stairs at the hotel, but only their daughter knew what really happened.

 _Smash!_

The eighth picture made her cringe. She was about seven still, but she had gained a lot of weight for her age, even though she was taller than most other kids. In the picture, she stood with her class on a field trip, and she towered over the majority of them. She remembered being made fun of for her size and height, and when one girl tried to take her lunch, she smashed it into her face. She got into a lot of trouble that day, but she didn't care; the sound of the girl crying made her satisfied.

 _Smash!_

The ninth picture was a year and a half later, so she'd be about eight, almost nine. She was still tall and had gained even more weight. In the picture, she stood with her mother, who was stalk skinny, and her father at an ice rink. Her mother couldn't skate because she had a broken leg, and she couldn't skate because she had a broken arm. It was a few days later that her grandmother called the police on the house to arrest her father, and she remembered being comforted by her cousins while her father screamed bloody murder into the night and her mother begged him not to.

 _Smash!_

The tenth picture was just a few weeks later. She and her mother were at her grandmother's house, and they were sitting for a family picnic in the front yard. She was slightly thinner, but not by much, while many of her cousins were as skinny as her mother. She remembered that by this point, her father had been released from jail and had threatened to kill her and her mother numerous times. Her mother filed a restraining order on him, but he was persistent.

 _Smash!_

The eleventh picture was when she was ten. It was at this point in time when she realized that she needed to get herself together. In the picture, she was in the hospital with another broken arm, this time the other one. It was broken because she and her mother had gotten into a car accident after her father hit them head on. He was arrested, but the damage was done. In the picture, she was smiling, but inside, she wasn't. She remembered she'd seen her mother crying in the room, because she had only suffered a few bruises, and she remembered how angry it made her feel. Her mother looked weak, she was weak. And she promised herself she'd never be like her mother.

 _Smash!_

In the twelfth picture, she was about eleven years old. She was at her friend's birthday party. The picture was of her and her friend sitting together outside of a bouncy house. She was skinnier; she'd stopped eating as much and began to eat less in general. Her mother didn't notice because she was spiraling into a pit of depression that made her drink all the time. It was easy for her to skip a meal or two a day, and slowly, she began to shrink down in sizes.

 _Smash!_

In the thirteenth picture, she was maybe almost twelve. This was when she'd joined competitive cheer. In the picture, she was standing with her mother, in her full cheer uniform, holding a trophy she'd won with her team. She wore some makeup and had a huge bow in her hair. Her mother looked slightly better than usual. She remembered that a few weeks after this picture was taken, her mother was checked into a rehab, where she'd stay for over a year while she lived with one of her cousins and continued doing cheer leading.

 _Smash!_

In the fourteenth picture, she was now thirteen years old and was entering junior high school, for seventh and eighth graders. She was definitely skinnier, and she'd come across a new technique for losing weight; she had to, her aunts were getting suspicious of her eating habits. In the picture, she stood at the front door, dressed up in a school uniform, smiling for the camera. What she hid from her aunts was that she'd eat their food and later throw it up in the bathroom. That way, she ate, but she still remained skinny.

 _Slam!_

In the fifteenth picture, she was going to be entering her eighth grade year, so she was about fourteen, maybe. She was again standing outside her aunt's front door, dressed up and ready for school. By this point, her mother had gotten out of rehab for alcoholism and had developed a new hobby: fashion. It was by this point that she began to learn how to dress herself and do her makeup. It wasn't the best, but it was a start. This was also around the time when her mother got a new job, and was saving up to buy a house to prove that she was a responsible parent. Around this time was when she'd gotten bullied at school by a boy, and he tried to pull her pants down when she was walking home from school. Her response was to hit him with her backpack and push him into oncoming traffic, where he was narrowly missed by a car. He never bothered her again.

 _Smash!_

In the sixteenth picture, she was still fourteen, but she was at a cheer competition. She and her team had just won another trophy and had landed first place. She was standing with a few of her friends from cheer, and she was smiling into the camera. She wasn't as skinny as she had been, and since she'd hit puberty a few years before, she was starting to grow curves. She and her friends had gotten into tanning and perfecting their makeup abilities, and they'd stay up all night at each other's houses watching fashion shows and reading magazines. This was also around the time she'd gotten her period, and she was so nervous to get it. A few weeks after the picture was taken, she remembered that she'd broken a girl's wrist by slamming her locker door on her hand after she'd made fun of her.

 _Smash!_

In the seventeenth picture, she was now fifteen and was about to start high school. She was standing in front of her mother's brand new house; the house they still live in. She wore the Wuncler Academy school uniform, a large headband in her hair that was decked out in jewels. She'd spent the whole summer tanning and going to the beach, and she remembered that this was the year she slowly began to eat normally again. She still had many episodes, but they were dying down. She remembered that within the first few weeks of school she made the cheer leading team for Wuncler Academy. Her mother had also gotten a higher position in her job, and began showering her with gifts that she never knew she could receive.

 _Smash!_

In the eighteenth picture, she was at a pool with a few friends from her cheer squad. They all were too tight bikinis and had large sunglasses on, and smiled for the camera with dazzling, freshly whitened smiles. She was going to enter her sophomore year of high school, and she was determined to make a higher position on the cheer team. By this point, she and her mother were starting to look more alike, and they would do girly outings together. She remembered that during this summer, she'd gotten a call from her father, who was in prison for attempted murder. He had tried to have a conversation with her, but she froze, and hung up. He called back two more times before never calling her again. This was also the summer that she began picking on a girl from her school, and girl she'd later regret picking on, even though she'd never admit it.

 _Smash!_

In the nineteenth picture, she was standing proudly in the school's stadium during a football game. She had made head cheerleader, and wore her new title with pride. She wore a lot of makeup and smiled as perfectly as she could. This was the beginning of her reign as the Queen of the Academy; everyone was practically at her feet begging her to be their friend or their girlfriend. There was no secret in that she loved the attention; it was like the attention she'd never received as a child. People were wanting to be like her, they wanted to be friends with her, they weren't trying to make fun of her or push her around. They feared her, and she loved it.

 _Smash!_

In the twentieth picture, she was posing with a senior guy whose name she couldn't remember. They were going to his prom, and she had gotten all dressed up in a sleek, black gown with crystals all over it. Her hair and makeup were done perfectly, and her award winning smile was, as always, flawless. She remembered that after prom, the two ran off to a party house downtown to have sex. Afterwards, they ditched each other and she went off with friends to go drink at a house party. Her friends had to carry her back to a waiting car, and they were driven home. She didn't remember much after that, but she'd taken some pretty amazing pictures even though she was drunk, and that's all that mattered.

 _Smash!_

She now stood in front of the last picture, which was from earlier that year. She was now seventeen, and was in her junior year of high school. The picture was from the first day of school, when she was helping out with directing students and giving them a tour of the school. She was smiling, in her cheer uniform, and looked better than anyone around her. She was glowing. But she knew that deep down, she wasn't glowing.

 _Smash!_

With the final picture broken, she slowly trudged back to the bathroom. She hadn't realized that she'd left her music on.

'There's a hope that's waiting for you in the dark,

You should know you're beautiful just the way you are, '

She rolled her eyes at the lyrics; it was such a cliché song. All it was doing was spreading lies to anyone who listened to it; not everyone had something bright waiting for them in the dark. Not everyone had a happy beginning. Not everyone had a happy ending. Not everyone had someone waiting for them.

She looked at herself in the mirror. Her blonde hair was askew. The black mascara that had once been on her eyes was now streaming down her face as tears fell onto the white sink, staining it black. Her blue eyes were red and puffy and hazy. She looked awful, she had always been an ugly crier to begin with.

Why was she crying? Why was she doing this? To her, she had no reason to cry, she had no reason to whine. She was perfect almost all the time. She may have had a rough past, but right now, she was in her prime. She was the Queen of the Academy for god's sake, why was she crying?

But deep down, in the pit of her soul, she knew why she was crying. Sometimes, all the years of being hurt, all the years of hurting yourself, it was hard to deal with sometimes. Sometimes, she needed to cry, she needed to lash out, because she had no one else to turn to. Why go to therapy when they wouldn't even care about your sob story. You're just a dollar sign.

Quickly, she took off her makeup and began to redo it. She hummed slightly to the song; it might've been stupid, but it was catchy.

'And you don't have to change a thing, the world could change its heart.

No scars to your beautiful, we're stars and we're beautiful. '

She laughed at the lyrics as she finished off her flawless makeup.

"You always have to change something to be beautiful, "she said to herself as she looked at herself in the mirror, trying to get herself to stop crying. After a moment, she returned to the hallway and began picking up her mess. She then went to her room and began cleaning it, throwing away the trash and remaking her bed. She decided to hide the photos in her room; her mother wouldn't notice anyways.

After she was done, she went back to the bathroom to retrieve her phone, just as she did, it rang. She picked it up, "Hello? "she said.

"Hey, Veronica! Guess what? "Samantha said from the other side.

"What? "Veronica began applying a lipstick to her lips evenly, "There's this sale going on down at the mall. You ready to shop? I'll be there in five! "

"Totally, "Veronica smiled to herself as she finished off her makeup. She hung up the phone and went back to her room to get her purse. She looked at the stack of photos on her bed; the ones that told her story, the story that no one, not even Samantha, knew about. She rolled her eyes.

"Pathetic, "she mumbled to herself. She grabbed her purse and walked out of her room, turning off the light and closing the door. She walked down the hallway and down the stairs, towards the front door. Within moments she could hear Samantha outside.

Veronica walked towards her front door; tall, poised, and perfect.

This was who she had become. After seventeen years, this was who she had found herself to be. She didn't need anyone to help her, she had to help herself. She never got a knight in shining armor, she never had the adoring mommy and daddy, she never had the perfect beginning, the nuclear family, the loving moments. Veronica had the abuse, she had the pain, she had the guilt, and she now had the power. Maybe this was why she hated Jazmine so much; her hate was more of envy, because Jazmine has everything that Veronica never received. Jazmine was loved. Veronica wasn't. But by this point, Veronica was starting to become okay with that. She was starting to get stronger.

This was Veronica Lizaben, the Queen of Wuncler Academy.

* * *

 **And of course, like the majority of the characters, they had different aspects of me or of people I've known/know. In this case, she has several different aspects that are from me.**

 **xoxo, Queen.**


	14. The V's

**A new update.**

* * *

Homecoming was fast approaching. Fliers were being put up all over the school for it, and it was being broadcasted all over social media. Teachers and principals were making announcements about it before and after school, and it was on everyone's minds and in everyone's mouths. Who would go with who? Who would wear what? Who would sleep with who? And, most importantly, who would be crowned king and queen of homecoming? These questions were all too important to the students at Wuncler Academy.

Early October was brimming with hope for a long, cold winter. Leaves were falling and turning colors, and the air was getting chilly. Girls were now wearing tights underneath their skirts, and slightly heavier jackets.

Huey and Jazmine had now officially been together for two weeks, along with Venus and Caesar. Riley and Cindy hadn't officially announced their relationship, although it was now widely assumed that the two were dating. Every morning, Huey and Jazmine would walk into school together, hand in hand. They shared similar classes and hallways, and would walk together with Riley, Cindy, Venus, Caesar, and occasionally Ming and Hiro.

Caesar and Huey were now officially on the drumline, and had been playing in football games every Friday night with the rest of the band. Jazmine cheered on the sidelines, and Cindy and Riley were normally in the crowd with Venus, Ming, and Hiro.

And, surprisingly enough, Veronica had not said a word to them since she'd last spoken to Huey.

This made Jazmine very uneasy; who could ever know what Veronica was planning with Samantha. Venus had told her how Veronica and Vera were now treating her, although recently, the abuse was subsiding. Veronica had gotten a new phone, since Venus destroyed hers, and had even gotten a new number so Venus couldn't contact her.

Venus was rather hurt by her cousin's actions, but she couldn't blame her. While she had done what she'd done to protect her friends, it was still mean to have broken Veronica's phone. Venus felt bad, and tried to apologize multiple times, but Veronica never paid attention. Venus assumed that this was her way of moving on, and she forced herself to try and forget their fight. Vera had also seemed to move on from that night, and was starting to treat Venus as an actual person.

What Venus didn't know was that Veronica was only staying away because of her recent freak-out; she was afraid that if she approached the group in such a vulnerable state, they'd see it instantly and use it against her. But, Venus didn't know this because she had her own demons to battle.

Now, the girls waited for their homecoming proposals.

On a crisp October Saturday, the day after another football game, Cindy went over to Jazmine's house.

Since she was a cheerleader, Jazmine had to attend all the football games and stay until it was over, which was normally around eleven, sometimes close to midnight. Jazmine didn't get home until at least one or two in the morning, if that. Cindy found that Jazmine would sleep until at least noon the next day, if she could. Today, Cindy was going to be bringing donuts and coffee, and they were going to talk about homecoming.

Cindy rang Jazmine's doorbell. After waiting a few moments, the door slowly opened, and a half-awake Jazmine stood at the entrance. She looked like she had just woken up, mainly because she had; her afro was askew and more untamed than usual, her eyes were cloudy and dark, and her face was paler than usual.

"Whoa, are you alright? "Cindy asked, stepping inside. Jazmine nodded, closing the door loudly, "Yeah, last night was just rough, "she said, yawning, "I didn't get home till three, "

"Why? "Cindy asked. She set the donuts and coffee down on the coffee table in the living room. Kicking off her shoes, she sat on the couch with Jazmine, who had found a blanket and had wrapped herself in it, "Oh, one of the girls lost her poms, and we had to look for it. Another could find her extra shoes, and so on, "she shrugged, taking ahold of one of the coffees and drinking it.

"Well that sucks, "Cindy shrugged, taking a sip of her own coffee, "well, we gotta start thinking about homecoming, "she went on, getting down to business. Jazmine nodded, "I know, but what can we wear? "she scratched her head through her afro, "I don't wanna show up looking like everyone else, "

"Me neither, "Cindy shook her head, "especially like Veronica. You know she's been nominated as a candidate for homecoming queen, right? "she smirked at Jazmine's eye roll, "Yeah, I know, "she sighed, "I heard about it from Venus yesterday. "

Cindy and Jazmine knew that if Veronica was a candidate, there was no way anyone else would even have a chance at winning. Veronica was popular and pretty; she'd have all the votes to herself, and no one would be able to change it.

"You think it's weird that she hasn't spoken to us in a while? "Cindy asked. Jazmine shrugged, but nodded, "Yeah, she barely even looks at me during cheer. She always avoids me, she hasn't called me out or made fun of me in weeks, not since Huey and I started dating. "Cindy arched a brow, "Weird, it's not like Veronica to just give up. I thought she was dead set on getting Huey to take her to homecoming. "

Jazmine pulled out her phone, "I'll call Venus and ask if she knows anything about Veronica scheming something on the low, "

Venus herself was in the midst of a full out war in her kitchen. Her cousin, Viola, had stayed the night after being kicked out for the fourth time by her mother, Venus's Aunt Vivienne, and was currently screaming at her mother over the phone. Her younger brother, Victor, was also screaming at Vera for breaking his X-Box controller on accident, and the two were at each other's throats. Her mother was trying to calm Victor down, but to no avail.

Nonetheless, when Venus saw that Jazmine was calling her, she picked up the phone.

"Hello? Jazmine? "she asked, "Hey, V…, "but Jazmine trailed off after she heard a loud crash from Venus's end, "is everything okay? Is this a bad time? "

"No, no, everything's fine, "Venus lied. She shoved a wailing Violet out of her way and ran into her room with her phone, shutting it behind her, "My sister and brother are just going at it, "it was a partial truth.

"Brother? "Jazmine arched a brow, "You never mentioned that you have a brother before, "

"Yeah, well, he's not that exciting, "Venus replied, "he's the youngest of the three of us. "

"I see, "Jazmine couldn't hear noise anymore, and assumed that Venus had gone off to a quiet spot, "well, this might be a bad time, but I was wondering if you knew anything about what Veronica's been doing lately…, "

"I don't know, "Venus interrupted quickly, "I haven't exactly spoken to her in weeks. I know she's lying low, but I don't know if she's planning to do something or not, "there was a sudden banging noise from downstairs that made Venus curse under her breath.

"Is this a bad time? "Jazmine asked. Venus groaned inwardly, "Yeah, "she finally admitted.

"Hey! "Cindy piped up, grabbing Jazmine's phone from her hand, "Cindy? "Venus was somewhat surprised to hear Cindy's voice on the other end, "Girl, come by Jazmine's place! We'll pick you up, Jaz has a car, "the request was so sudden that Jazmine couldn't stop her from saying it, and Venus was unprepared for it.

"Oh, well, if it's alright with Jazmine…, "Venus trailed off as Jazmine answered, "Yeah, you can come over if you want, "she said. Cindy flashed her a grin.

Venus turned around in time to hear another loud clatter come from the kitchen, "Yeah, I'll come by, "she said. _Anything to get outta here for a while._

Thirty minutes later, Cindy and Jazmine were parked outside of Venus's house. She lived relatively close to the Academy, so finding her house wasn't difficult. However, when they approached, they could hear the commotion going on inside. After a minute or two of waiting outside, Venus emerged from the home, clad in a pair of ripped, faded blue jeans, fuzzy black sandals, and a gray hoodie from The Weekend. Her silver hair was pulled back into a long ponytail, and she had a purse slung over her shoulder.

"Hey, "she said as she opened one of the back-car doors and slipped inside. Cindy and Jazmine gave Venus smiles as Jazmine took off.

"What's going on at your place? "Cindy then asked, "We heard a lot of commotion in there, did something happen? "

Venus rolled her eyes, "There's always something happening, "she muttered, "my cousin, Viola, got kicked out of her house again and came to stay with us. She was yelling at her mom over the phone when you called. "

"Oh, "Jazmine didn't know what to say to that, and neither did Cindy.

It dawned on them that they didn't know much about Venus and her life, or Veronica's. They'd only known her for over a month, but even so, they felt like they should've known something about her. All they knew about Venus was that she's related to the Queen Bee of their school, her older sister was insane, and that she liked Starbucks teas.

In contrast, Cindy and Jazmine knew almost everything about each other, but they'd been best friends for years. Venus was also younger than them; a year younger than Cindy but two years younger than Jazmine. She was Riley's age, almost.

"So, what do ya wanna do? "Cindy asked. Venus shrugged, "I dunno, I didn't really think of anything since you called, "she admitted. Jazmine giggled, "How about my house? "she asked.

Venus nodded, "Sure. "

The three pulled up into Jazmine's driveway. She turned off her car, and the three went inside. Venus was directed by Cindy to Jazmine's room, and once inside, the three sat on Jazmine's large, comfy bed. Cindy kicked off her shoes, prompting Venus to do the same, only she placed hers neatly beside the bed.

"So, what do y'all wanna talk about? "Venus asked.

"How about we talk about you? "Jazmine said, giving Cindy a prompting glance. Cindy got the message, and nodded, "Yeah, we've been knowing you for a while, but we know like nothing about you, "she shrugged, "It'd be nice to know at least a few things about you. "

"Well, "Venus shrugged as well, having been caught off guard by the sudden idea, "I don't know what you'd wanna know about me. "

"Well, for starters, your family, "Cindy went on, "like how come you never told us you have a brother? "the question seemed to throw Venus off, but she responded: "Well, I just never thought to mention him. I don't see him often, he mostly lives with my dad. "

"So your parents are divorced? "Jazmine felt bad for asking such personal questions, but now she was curious. Cindy was also curious, and wanted Venus to answer.

"Yeah, my mother and her sisters are all divorced, "Venus shrugged. Jazmine and Cindy were quiet for a moment, "Oh, I didn't know…, "now Jazmine just felt bad for asking. Cindy felt her lips go dry, and she licked them. Jazmine felt her palms become sweaty.

Venus, however, only shrugged again, "It's not a big deal, "she said.

"So…, how many people are in your family? "Cindy asked. Jazmine knew that Veronica had a big family, but she didn't know how many.

"Well, "Venus began, "my mother has three sisters; the oldest is Vivienne, the second is Veronica's mother, Victoria, my mother Valerie is the third, and Vanessa is the youngest. They all got married in their twenties, I think my mom was nineteen when she had my sister, though. All of my Aunts were already married. Aunt Vivienne has four kids, my mom has three, and Aunt Vanessa has two. Veronica is the only one from our family that's an only child. "

"Is there a reason for that? "Cindy asked.

Venus nodded, "Well, from what I remember growing up, Veronica's mother had problems with her husband at the time, Veronica's dad, "suddenly, her eyes narrowed and grew dark, "I don't remember much about him, he left Veronica and my Aunt Victoria all the time. "

"Well, what about your dad? "Jazmine then asked.

Venus looked up to stare at her, her eyes still dark and brooding. But, she answered nonetheless, "My mom and dad divorced after Victor was born. I was three at the time, so I don't really remember him. Vera remembers him more because she was old enough, "she sneered at the memories of Vera talking about their father, "Vera never liked him. She always said there was something weird about dad, and that my mom was too gullible to see it. Well, dad remarried when I was about six, and I got two half brothers from his new wife. But my mom…, "she trailed off for a moment. Then, she rolled her eyes, "my mom is like the rest of her sisters, and my grandmother; they absolutely hate men. "

The statement took Jazmine and Cindy by surprise, "They hate men? Then why did they all get married? "Cindy asked.

Venus shook her head, "No, well, they didn't always hate men. But after all four of them got divorced, all four of them started to hate men together. My grandmother, Violet, is the only one who remained married, but my grandfather died years ago, so it's just been her. Aunt Victoria, er, Veronica's mom, is the only one to have kept my grandmother's last name. "

"Lizaben? "Jazmine knew Veronica's last name; she'd proudly state it anytime someone asked her. Venus nodded, "My grandparents' last name is Lizaben. My mother took my father's name, Carew, and my two other aunts took their ex-husbands names, too: Dean and Cassidy. When her dad was around, Veronica's last name was Leon. "

"Leon, "Jazmine liked the way it sounded. But, from what Venus had just said, Veronica's dad didn't seem too nice or friendly. In fact, all of her ex-uncles sounded sinister, including her own father.

"…my grandmother says we're cursed, "Venus mumbled, but Jazmine and Cindy heard. When she realized that they had, she continued, "Grandma says that we're cursed, because all the men that we fall in love with leave, or die, "she shrugged, "I don't believe in curses, but a few of my cousins do, like Veronica, "

"Veronica believes in curses? "Cindy asked, shocked.

Venus chuckled and nodded, "Yeah, she does, and so does my sister and our cousins Viola, Valencia, and Vanya. None of the boys do, and they make fun of them for it. "she began laughing at Jazmine's and Cindy's expression.

Suddenly, though, she became serious, her eyes darkening again, "I know Veronica seems mean, but she's not all that bad. Well, she used to be not all that bad. We're all kind of screwed up, "she laughed at herself, scratching her head with her hand, "and…she's still my cousin. "

Jazmine and Cindy exchanged glances with each other, unable to truly believe Venus. Veronica had been horrible to them for years, and there was no changing that. But, they knew better than to say anything else to Venus on the subject on Veronica, so they remained silent.

* * *

Venus returned home later that evening. After spending the day with Jazmine and Cindy, gossiping and watching movies, Jazmine drove Venus back home. Venus was expecting to return to a full, loud house, but instead, she returned home to silence.

The house was dark as she entered, and she was momentarily confused. A few lights in the kitchen had been left on, but that was it. Venus noticed that her mother's purse, which was normally on the kitchen table, was missing.

"Mom? "Venus called out, "Vera? Victor? Viola? "but there was no answer.

Urgently, she searched the house, going into her siblings' and her mother's room, but there was no one there. Viola was also gone, the backpack she'd brought with her was missing from the living room.

She ran back downstairs to the kitchen. Just as she'd pulled her phone out of her pocket, she spotted something fly from the kitchen counter to the floor. Curious, she went over to investigate, and found that it was a piece of paper. She opened it, and it was a note addressed to her.

'Dearest Venus, 'it began, and Venus rolled her eyes; her mother obviously wrote this, 'Vera has taken Viola back to her mother's house. If she hasn't returned by six, that means she's gone to Veronica's house. 'Venus checked her phone; it was six-thirty. 'I've gone to take your brother to your father's, and then I'm going to meet Aunt Vanessa at her house. I won't be back until tomorrow. There's food in the fridge, and I've made your favorite: spaghetti with meatballs. Just heat it up. If you want something else, I've left some cash in your room on your bed to order take-out or delivery. If I'm not back tomorrow, then I've gone to work. Victor should be back in a few days, and I don't know when Vera will come back. Love, mother. '

Venus sighed, crumpling up the paper and tossing it in the trash. She went to the fridge and opened it, spotting the spaghetti in a plastic Tupperware container. Suddenly, though, she wasn't hungry anymore, and she closed the fridge.

Venus hopped into the shower for fifteen minutes before getting out. As she was drying her hair, she opened her phone to her Snapchat. Looking at her screen, she began flipping through the stories. One was from Vera, who was at Denny's with Veronica and Samantha. Another was from Ming, who was out with Hiro on a date. All of her friends were out doing something with someone.

But here Venus was, alone.

Until an idea struck her.

Tired of being left out all the time, Venus made a call. Now, she had someone to keep her company. She was dressing as the person on the other end picked up, "Hello? "

"Hey Caesar, "Venus said warmly, smiling as she heard his voice. She heard him laugh, "Hey little mamas, "Venus giggled at the nickname, "Hey, so you wanna come by my place? I'm all alone, and I really don't wanna be, "Venus was pleading with Caesar, and he could tell.

Caesar glanced at the clock on the wall of his bedroom, "Yeah, sure baby doll, I'll be there soon. Where do you live? "he asked. "I'll text you my address, "Venus replied. She could practically see Caesar smiling on the other end, "See you soon, mamas. "

Venus hung up. Now excited, she went downstairs and began situating the living room for a guest. She'd never had someone to be with whenever something like this happened, which was quite often.

Venus was used to being home alone, especially after he sister got her license. Before, Venus used to stay home with Vera, but they never really did anything together. When Vera started driving, she'd pack a bag and stay out of the house for a whole weekend, which was usually when their mother left to either be with one of her sisters, a friend, or a new boyfriend that none of her children ever met. Victor only spent some weekends with them, but he mostly stayed in his rarely used room.

Finally, Venus heard a knock on the door. She rushed towards the front door, stopping to check herself in the hallways mirror. She smoothed back her hair and fixed her shirt before turning to open the door.

Caesar stood on her front step, looking taller than the last time she'd seen him. He wore a pair of faded jeans, Nikes, and a large hoodie that seemed small for him. Venus smiled shyly and let him in, "Hey Caesar, "

"Hey mamas, "Caesar winked at her, stooping down to place a kiss on her forehead gently. Venus felt her face turn red as she looked out the door quickly; she was checking to make sure no one was coming home early.

Sure that they would be unbothered, Venus shut the door and locked it.

* * *

 **After writing the previous chapter about Veronica, I realized that Venus's life and past have never really been brought into the story. Venus herself is based off of traits from me, my mom, and a few other women I know. When I was first writing this story, I had never intended to include Veronica's family members besides her mother, which is why I just gave all the female family members names beginning with a V when they were mentioned briefly in one of the earlier chapters. After I decided to officially include Venus as a MC, I knew I had to create a background for her eventually, along with the rest of the family. I also hadn't planned to make all of the mother's divorced, but things happen.  
I also recently started writing a story for another category besides the Boondocks, which almost all of my stories are in. It's based off of a phone game about romance and all that. Writing that one has somewhat changed my writing style now. While it's not perfect, it's getting better. **

**xoxo, Queen**


	15. Monday Morning

**Another update for y'all.**

* * *

Huey and Riley strode into school the following Monday morning. They were planning to meet Hiro in the cafeteria. They had tried to get Caesar to meet with them, but he said he was going to be with Venus that morning. Ever since Caesar started dating Venus, the two were inseparable. Caesar had announced to the boys the day before that Venus had invited him over to her house Saturday. There, he asked her to homecoming, and she had accepted. This had reminded the boys about their task; asking the girls to homecoming.

While they weren't particularly excited about the dance, they knew that the girls wanted to go. It was the only thing they spoke about to each other and to their other friends. It was also the main focus of almost every conversation that the two ever heard in the hallways. There were flyers everywhere, and posters sprawled up on walls and bulletin boards promoting the event.

They stopped at their lockers, which were close to each other, "I dunno what it is about homecoming, "Riley shrugged, "but it doesn't seem that exciting. "

"It's not, "Huey shrugged, pulling out a book from his locker. Back in his old high school, homecoming wasn't as big, and not very many people went regularly. His freshman year there was one, but he never went. By his sophomore year, the homecoming was canceled. It just wasn't a thing. Here, though, homecoming was very important, down to the last detail; who you go with, what you'd wear, and so on, it was all mentally documented by everyone. Huey was sure that the only other big event would be prom.

"Well, it sure seems like a big deal here, "Riley shrugged, "what do you do there anyways? Dance, eat, fuck? "

"No, "Huey slapped his brother upside his head, "That is NOT what you do, "but Riley only snickered at his reaction.

Huey glanced behind Riley for a split second, and his heart nearly stopped. Riley saw his brother's eyes furrow into a frown, and he turned to see what he was staring at.

Walking down the hallway was Veronica, accompanied by her banshee, Samantha, who was glued to her phone. Veronica wore the Wuncler uniform and had her long blonde hair straightened down her back. She looked the same as every day: perfect. She carried a Louis Vuitton mini-backpack, which was slung over her shoulders. Her expression was pinched and poised.

As she began to pass the two, Huey was expecting her to stop. He hadn't spoken to her since she'd kissed him a few weeks previous, but he wouldn't put it past her to try something again. But, to his amazement and relief, Veronica only glanced at him as she passed by. But, at the last second, she flashed him a sly smile that made his blood boil.

Riley saw it, "Just leave it, "he advised his older brother, "she's not talkin' to us anymore, be glad about that, "

Huey nodded, feeling the anger in him subside. Truthfully, had Huey not met Jazmine, he might've gone for someone like Veronica. The two knew plenty of girls like Veronica back in Chicago, and Huey had even slept with someone vaguely like her.

They closed their lockers and headed into the cafeteria, where Hiro waited patiently for them with Ming at a table. Hiro tossed the two apples from the breakfast line, "You're welcome, "he said as they sat down. Riley nodded appreciatively and bit into his apple, while Huey responded, "Thanks dude, "

"So, have you two asked them? "Ming asked.

Huey and Riley weren't too sure how they felt about Ming and Hiro. Hiro was the one who reported the Veronica incident to Ming, and Ming was the one who transferred the information to Jazmine and Cindy with Venus. However, Huey knew that they couldn't be mad at the two; they hadn't actually done anything wrong. The brothers didn't even know how they began talking to Hiro and Ming, or when.

"Not yet, "Riley shrugged, mouth full of apple, "When should we? "

"Soon, "Ming replied, "as soon as you can! "

"Hey, where are they? "Riley then asked, scanning the room, "aren't they normally here by now? "he took another bite of his apple, but he looked slightly worried.

"Well, Jazmine has cheer most mornings for a pre-workout, "Huey said, "she's probably still there. Cindy's probably with her, too. "Huey knew that, most mornings, Cindy and Jazmine were together somewhere in the school. If it wasn't for cheer or basketball, it was for tutoring.

"Yeah…but they're normally here by now. The bell's gonna ring in like five minutes. "Riley seemed uneasy, almost nervous. There was no reason for him to feel that way, at least in Huey's mind. Huey wasn't too worried about the girls; they had their own agendas and routines at school that didn't involve himself or Riley. Riley just seemed to be overreacting.

Huey stood up, "Let's just get to class, "he said. Riley shrugged, "Why even bother goin'? "he joked, but Huey slapped him upside his head, "C'mon, "he prodded. Riley rolled his eyes, earning a giggle from Ming, who stood up with Hiro. They interlocked their hands and picked up their belongings and food items before walking in the opposite direction.

Huey and Riley walked towards an exit into a hallway that led to the front of the school. As soon as Huey pulled out his phone to check the time, it began ringing. Jazmine's name flashed on the screen.

He showed his phone to Riley, "See, they're probably gonna be running late now, man, "he said, as if trying to assure Riley. Riley only nodded, and Huey answered, "Hello? "

"Huey! "Jazmine shrieked into the phone, loud enough for Riley to hear the panic in her voice. Huey was shocked to hear her sound that way, and it startled him.

"What's wrong? "he asked, now worried.

Jazmine was panting on the other line. She sounded out of breath, like she'd been running or crying. Huey could faintly hear Cindy screaming in the background, not in pain, but out of worry. She sounded like she was screaming at someone, and said someone was screaming angrily back.

"Huey! You gotta come, now! "Jazmine said, gasping for breath.

"What's goin' on? Why's Cindy screaming!? "Riley demanded, now completely worried, "She's fine, Riley, "Jazmine replied, "but you both have to get here! "

"Get where? "Huey and Riley began walking towards the front of the school as the bell rang for first period. Jazmine paused to yell something at Cindy, who screamed back, and returned to her phone.

"Huey, there was an accident. It's Caesar and Venus. "

* * *

 _An hour earlier_

Venus pulled on her Wuncler uniform after taking a much needed hot shower. She was giddy and excited; she was going to tell Cindy and Jazmine about what had happened Saturday.

When Caesar had arrived, the two sat in her living room for the majority of his two-hour long visit. They chatted about school and other unimportant things, but towards the middle of their conversation, Caesar had asked her to homecoming. Venus couldn't refuse, and now here she was, going to homecoming with Michael Caesar.

She ran a brush through her damp hair as her phone buzzed. It was a text from Caesar. She opened it and read it.

 **From Cesa: hey baby, down to get picked up?**

Venus smiled at her phone and quickly responded.

 **To Cesa: always!**

 **From Cesa: Great. Be there in 15.**

Venus groaned and began brushing her hair faster. She now only had fifteen minutes to get ready. She rushed to her bedroom and sat at her vanity, pulling out a bag of makeup. She rubbed in a primer and hastily began applying her foundation as she got another message.

 **From Cesa: hope you're ready soon.**

 _Not even five minutes have gone by!_ Venus inwardly groaned as she set her phone down. After her foundation came a setting powder, and then her eyebrows. Venus had just finished her brows before stopping to look at herself for a moment, contemplating on what else she should try to do. She knew she didn't have enough time to completely finish out her makeup. She decided to curl her lashes and put on a thin layer of mascara before going to put on her socks and shoes.

As she pulled on her shoes and found her purse and notebook, her phone chimed again.

 **From Cesa: I'm outside.**

Venus slung her purse over her shoulder as she barreled down the stairs. She ran into a wall or two, and hit her elbow against the stair railing.

Her mother sat in the living room, drinking a cup of coffee. She turned from the TV to look at Venus, who was out of breath and tired already, "Is Vera taking you to school already? "she asked, arching a brow at her daughter's hurried state.

"No, mom, Caesar's taking me, "Venus replied curtly. Her mother frowned, "Oh, I see. "

Venus had only recently told her mother about Caesar. She couldn't tell if her mother liked him or not, but she also hadn't met him yet. Either way, Venus knew her mother probably wouldn't approve of anything she did.

"Well, have a good day at school, "her mother then smiled. Venus smiled plainly back, making her way to the door. She was glad Vera wasn't around, she would've just made everything ten times harder.

Venus jumped out of her house, seeing Caesar's truck parked in the driveway. He drove an old Chevy truck. He would go on and on to Venus about how he was saving up to buy a new one, never before used.

Caesar had gotten out of his car and was waiting for Venus at the passenger's side, "Did I rush you? "he asked, chuckling at Venus's disheveled state, "No, no, I'm fine, "she replied. She leaned up to kiss him on the cheek, and he opened the passenger's door, allowing Venus to step inside the truck. He closed the door behind her and made his way to the driver's side, getting in and starting the truck back up.

The first thing Venus noticed was the Starbucks drink in the cup holders. She squealed, and picked up the one closest to her. Taking a sip, she smiled, "You know me too well already, Caesar, "she said. Caesar chuckled, "Not yet, "

He backed out of her driveway and they started towards the school. Venus glanced at her phone: it was only six-thirty, they were going to be very early.

"Why'd you come so early? "she asked. Caesar shrugged, "I didn't know how long it would take to get this, "he gestured to the Starbucks, "I thought it would've taken longer, so I decided to get there earlier. Well, it didn't, so now we're stuck getting to school early. "

Venus nodded, taking another sip. Without much thought, she pulled down the visor to look into the small mirror, "Getting ready in ten minutes is difficult, Caesar, "she complained, fixing an eyelash that was jutting into her eye. Caesar chuckled, "It's not that early, baby, "he said.

Venus rolled her eyes and leaned back into the seat. Absently, she turned on the radio.

Caesar felt nervous around Venus now. He knew she shouldn't, but he did. Every moment he spent with her, he felt like there was something inside him that was churning his stomach and making him sweat. He couldn't just ignore it, either. He needed to feel it.

He let go of the steering wheel with his right hand and placed it on Venus's leg. Venus responded by slowly interlocking her hand with his. The action was almost hesitant, as if she was going to second guess herself and pull back or push his hand away. But, she didn't, and he felt her cool fingers lace with his warm ones. The action was simple, but loving.

The stopped at a stop sign before continuing. The streets were relatively busy; this was around the time when people started going to work. The sun was visible behind thick clouds, and painted the sky pink, orange, and yellow in a sunrise.

They pulled up to a stoplight, where they had to wait at a red light. Venus looked over to her right, and spotted a familiar Kia.

"Hey, isn't that Jazmine's car? "she asked, pointing at it. Caesar looked over and nodded, "Yeah, I think so. "

Venus squinted at the car. They were in the far right lane, preparing to turn right to head to the school. The school was only a few blocks down from their current location. Venus shrugged, "I thought they got to the school earlier. "

Caesar only shrugged back.

They waited a moment longer, and the light turned green. Caesar's truck, which was in the far right lane, went first, and he began moving into the intersection. Venus looked out the window to see if she could get a better view of the Kia. Sure enough, inside was Jazmine and Cindy. Jazmine saw her, and smiled.

Venus raised her arm to wave. Suddenly, she felt Caesar's arm swing over her body as a horn blared and tires skidded.

"Venus! "

* * *

Cindy screamed, "OH MY GOD! "

Jazmine froze. Her eyes went wide and the color drained from her face. She was frozen in place, in total shock. Cindy, on the other hand, flew out of the car. After a moment, Jazmine regained the feeling in her hands and legs.

As if in a dream, she turned off the car. She stepped out, keys in hand, and began to take in her surroundings as it all hit her at once.

Venus had waved at her. In an instant, the memories flooded back and tears began falling from Jazmine's eyes. The sound of a car racing by, the blaring of a horn, the skidding of tires, and the ultimate sound of metal against metal as a Ford truck collided into Caesar's Chevy.

Jazmine spotted Cindy, who stood at the front of Caesar's car. Suddenly, she went to the driver's side and opened the door, "OH MY GOD! "she screamed again. She began waving her arms frantically, screaming: "HELP! HELP! CALL 911! "

Jazmine approached the scene, choking back tears.

A large Ford truck had collided head on into Caesar's Chevy…right on the passenger's side, where Venus had been sitting. The front of the Ford was a mess; half of it was crushed into itself. The driver sat motionless in the front seat, but he seemed unconscious. Jazmine saw other drivers pull over and began running towards the scene, pulling out their phones.

As it unfolded, the world seemed to move slower. But, as her senses returned, Jazmine shook her head, clearing it. She began running towards Cindy.

Meanwhile, Cindy had managed to open the driver's door. Caesar sat in the seat, unconscious, with blood dripping from his forehead. He was slumped over the steering wheel. Two Starbucks cups had exploded and spilled everywhere, staining the seats with coffee. Cindy looked behind him and screamed even louder.

Jazmine rushed over, "Cindy? Cindy! "

Jazmine began taking in the scene, grabbing her hair with her hands and screaming frantically. A bystander approached, "I've called 911! "she said, "they're on their way! "

Suddenly, Jazmine reached for her phone in her back pocket. Shakily, she fumbled with it until she'd managed to dial a number. She placed the phone to her ear.

"Hello? "

"Huey! "Jazmine screamed into the phone. She heard Riley say something on the other side, so he must've been listening.

"What's wrong? "he asked.

"Huey, "Jazmine's voce became shaky, and it cracked, "you gotta come, now! "

"What's goin' on? Why's Cindy screaming!? "Riley demanded from the other side. Jazmine took a deep breath, "She's fine, Riley, "Jazmine replied, "but you both have to get here! "

"Get where? "

"Huey, there was an accident, "Jazmine felt tears streaming down her face as she began crying, "It's Caesar and Venus. "

She approached the driver's side to get a better look at Venus, but she could only see half of her. It looked like Venus had tried to move towards the console of the truck, and had succeeded in getting half of her body over it. However, her right leg was hidden by the crushed portion of the two trucks, and her seat belt was stuck under the crushed vehicle. Venus had blood all over her face, and she wasn't moving.

Suddenly, Caesar began stirring, "Mmhhm? "his eyes fluttered open, but they were groggy and blurry.

"Caesar! "he heard someone say. Turning his head, he looked to his left and spotted a familiar blonde, "C-Cindy? "he croaked. He felt Cindy's hand touch his arm, "Caesar, everything's going to be okay, "she said, but her voice sounded so far away, like she was yards away from him.

Caesar could barely hear the sirens of an ambulance and a few police cars approaching. The lights were so bright, he had to squint, "C-Cindy…, "he repeated.

Slowly, he began turning his head to the right, "No, Caesar, look at me…, "he heard Cindy start, but he couldn't hear her finish her sentence. His focus was now on his girlfriend, who laid crushed under a car next to him.

"V-Venus? "he whispered, barely audible. With his right hand, he slowly reached up to caress her face, but she was cold.

"V-Venus! "he tried again, but she didn't respond. Without control, Caesar felt tears streaming down his face as someone pulled him from his spot, "Venus! "he yelled out again, but it was all in vain, because he knew Venus couldn't hear him.

A bright light flashed over his eyes, and then another.

The voices around him collided with each other as the ringing in his ears became more apparent. The sky was no longer several colors, but was now a bright white.

He was moving, but he didn't know where. He now could feel a sharp pain in his head, and he cried out as he tried to grab his forehead. A hand stopped him, and more voices began speaking. But they were all jumbled together, and Caesar couldn't hear words or sentences; he could only hear the sound. Caesar felt like something had clenched itself around his lungs as he struggled to catch his breath. Something hard was placed over his mouth. His head and eyes hurt, his heartbeat was slowing.

But his mind wasn't on that. It was on her.

Venus.

"V-Venus..., "

Jazmine had managed to shimmy herself into the truck. Paramedics were on standby as a firetruck approached. They were going to have to pry Venus out of the car. Softly, Jazmine grabbed Venus's hand. She then squeezed. She felt something faint beating inside Venus: her heart. But, it was getting softer, and slower. Jazmine reached out with her left hand to touch Venus's face, but was met with oozing, red blood. Suddenly, she was pulled back, and landed in Cindy's arms.

Then, Jazmine broke down into tears. She could hear Cindy screaming and sobbing above her.

But Jazmine was focused on Venus.

The clouds blocked the sun, and the sky turned darker. Huey and Riley approached the scene in horror, having raced there in Huey's car all the way from the school with Ming and Hiro. Ming instantly began screaming, "Venus! Venus! "

But she didn't reply.

* * *

 **xoxo, Queen**


	16. Monday Evening

A hospital monitor beeped rhythmically to Caesar's heartbeat. But the room was dead silent, save for the beep, beep, beep. The only other two souls inside the room were Mr. and Mrs. Caesar, his mom and dad. The walls were a starch white, as were the sheets and pillow. The chairs were a light wood color with light blue cushions on the backing and bottom. Caesar himself laid quietly on the hospital bed, asleep. There was no telling when he'd wake up, and it hurt to know that it could take forever.

In a waiting area, several people waited anxiously for an answer, for an update, something.

Side by side sat Jazmine and Huey. Jazmine's eyes were still wide from shock, red and puffy, and her uniform was stained with Venus's blood. She hadn't bothered to change into the plain, white gown that the hospital had loaned to her until she could acquire new, bloodless clothes; the gown was draped over her chair thoughtlessly. Huey rubbed her back comfortingly, but he, too, was disturbed and uneasy. One of his best friends was hurt, and he had no idea if he was okay or not. Beside them sat Cindy and Riley. Cindy had stopped screaming, but there were tears still running down her face as Riley wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She had Caesar's blood still on her uniform blazer, which lay on the floor. Across from the four, Hiro and Ming sat together, with Ming's face into Hiro's shoulder as she silently cried, not making a sound. Hiro's expression was dark and grim, and he looked paler than usual.

Surrounding them was Venus's family. Her mother sat silently with Vera and Victor. Her eyes were red and her makeup was smeared from heavy crying, but she didn't make a sound as she sat in the waiting area; she had cried so much on the way over. Vera had her head buried into her hands, avoiding everyone, and Victor was on the phone with their father, whispering almost secretively. Sitting not too far away was Veronica and her mother, Victoria. Both looked as if to be in shock over the whole ordeal.

It had been three hours since the car crash.

After the crash initially happened, Jazmine had called Huey and Riley, who'd rushed to the scene with Hiro and Ming from the school. Caesar was taken by ambulance to the hospital first, while two firetrucks came to the scene quickly after his departure. They were there because they needed to pry Venus out from under the car as safely and quickly as possible. Jazmine and Cindy were directed away from the scene and towards a police car after telling the officers on the scene that they knew Caesar and Venus. Jazmine had told an officer Venus and Caesar's names, and he had made the necessary calls to contact their families. Cindy and Jazmine had raced to the hospital in Jazmine's car, with Huey, Riley, Hiro, and Ming not too far behind.

Upon arrival, they were told that Caesar sustained non-life-threatening injuries that required stitches, and would overall be alright with a few days of rest. Venus, however, wasn't so lucky. The moment they had pried her loose, she was air-lifted to the hospital via helicopter and went straight into surgery. While Jazmine and Cindy turned away from Venus, Huey and Riley managed to catch a glimpse of her before she was rushed into the surgery room, and their stomachs churned inside them from worry.

The group had learned an hour after the crash that the Ford driver had been running late to work and had decided to run the red light fifteen miles over the thirty-five-mph speed limit. It was a head on collision for him, but his injuries were not as severe, and he was only unconscious for the time being. After Venus's mother was informed about what had happened, she broke down into tears, screaming bloody murder in the hospital, demanding that he be arrested.

And he would be arrested, but the charge would go up to vehicle manslaughter if Venus didn't survive.

That was the one thing no one wanted to think about, but everyone in the room knew it was a huge possibility. As they sat there, each of them had that thought in the back of their mind, and none of them could get rid of it. What if Venus didn't make it? What if she'd sustained too much? She was a small girl, and she couldn't take a hit like that fully or even partially. There was a huge possibility that Venus would die, and life would not be the same ever again if she did.

And what would they tell Caesar when he woke up?

The third hour fell into a fourth. The group had already missed half of the school day, but they weren't planning on going back. So they sat there in silence, waiting. Waiting for something.

"Venus has been in surgery for a while now, "Jazmine whispered to Huey. Huey nodded, "Yeah, she has. "he didn't know how badly Venus was injured, but it must've been bad.

The group heard heels clicking on the floor, and they turned to look up. A dark-skinned nurse in a white uniform came in, a clipboard in hand, "Is this the group for Michael Caesar and Venus Carew? "she asked.

At the sound of their names, everyone stood up. Huey and Riley approached the nurse, with Jazmine and Cindy behind them, "Has somethin' happened? Are they alright? "Riley asked. Cindy and Jazmine began speaking, and Ming and Hiro piped up behind them. The nurse silenced them by raising her hand.

"At this point, we can only deliver information on Mr. Michael, "the nurse said plainly, but apologetically.

"Caesar, "Riley corrected. The nurse arched a brow at him, "he likes to be called Caesar, "he continued.

The nurse nodded, "Very well, Mr. Caesar only sustained a few injuries. His forehead was grazed by glass, so we had to pull out any remaining shards and stitch the gash up. His right wrist suffered a sprain, but it should be fine in a few weeks. He was in and out of consciousness, and we had to sedate him in order to perform the stitches, "she looked down at her clipboard, reading something, "other than that, he is in a state of shock. We've given him morphine as a pain killer. He's very groggy right now…, "

"He's awake? "Huey asked. The nurse nodded, "Yes. I just went to check on him, and he's wide awake. "the group gave a sigh of relief, but they knew the nurse wasn't finished with her report. They still needed to know information on one more person.

Venus's mother approached, "W-what about my daughter? "she asked fearfully.

The nurse coughed, and returned to her clipboard, flipping a page up. She sighed, "Miss Venus Carew…, "just by the tone of her voice, Huey and Riley knew something was bad.

"I have to ask…were Mr. Caesar and Miss Venus dating? "she asked. Cindy nodded, "Yeah, it's only been a few weeks. "

The nurse nodded, "Very well. I can tell you what I know now, but it is important that you do NOT relay any information to Mr. Caesar just yet. We don't want him to strain himself or become worried, it could cause a panic attack and send him into a state of hysteria. "

Venus's mother held her breath, and the group nodded in response, as if promising her.

The nurse scanned them all over once before speaking: "Miss Venus sustained…heavy injuries, "she began slowly, looking down at her clipboard for a moment, "her right leg was partially caught under the debris, but…a shard of the Ford truck impaled itself into her right side. Luckily, it did not pass fully through her body, but it did tear her muscle ad pierced a part of her intestine. Her head was also hit, and although there is no gash or scar, the damage was not light, "

Jazmine felt her head become heavy as she heard the information. Cindy wanted to throw up. Ming felt tears streaming down her face before she could stop it.

"We had to do extensive work on her body. Her right leg is broken, and we had to surgically fix her wound. "the nurse could tell that she was giving the group more information than they could handle. But, Venus's mother grabbed her arm, "Tell me more, please, "she gasped, "is she going to live? "

The nurse stopped for a moment before speaking, "At this point, Miss Carew has fallen into a coma. "she gave the group a sincere, apologetic look.

Valencia Carew fought back tears as she tried to speak again, "Wh-when will sh-she wake up? "she asked.

The nurse sighed, "We don't know. "

Huey felt Jazmine tighten her grip on his arm. He grabbed her hand with his. Turning, he spotted Veronica a few feet from him, standing next to Venus's older sister and brother. What he saw on her face was something he'd never seen; she looked terrified. She looked purely and utterly terrified at what had just happened. She didn't have her usual perfect, clear face. Her mascara had smeared under her eyes, and her lipstick had come off at some point, revealing her bare lips. Her eyes were extremely red and puffy.

Turning back, he spoke to the nurse, "Can we see Caesar? "he asked. The nurse nodded, and began walking away, down the hall. Huey, Riley, Cindy, Jazmine, Ming, and Hiro followed, while Veronica and the rest of Venus's family stayed in the waiting area.

Upon entering the room, the first thing Huey and Riley saw was Caesar. He sat upright in his hospital bed. He no longer wore his uniform, but a white hospital gown. Mr. and Mrs. Caesar sat at his side, and when they entered the room, the couple looked up at them. Neither Riley nor Huey had met Caesar's parents yet, but they looked kind. At the moment, though, they were in tears.

"Hey, "Huey said to Caesar, who looked up at him. Caesar cracked a painful smile, "Hey, "he croaked back. Huey studied him; Caesar had a scar from the middle of his forehead to his right temple, and he'd been freshly stitched up. He had a bandage wrapped around his right wrist that went up his lower arm, to his elbow. Huey couldn't see his legs, but he could only imagine the scars and bruises that were on them.

"How're you feelin'? "Riley asked. Caesar nodded, "I'm feeling fine, "he replied. The group said hello to Caesar's parents before sitting down in a few chairs that were placed in the room for them.

"Where's Venus? "Caesar then asked. He wasted no time in doing so. Huey and Riley glanced at each other quickly as Jazmine inhaled sharply.

"She's resting, "Ming then said, surprising everyone else. She had been relatively quiet since they'd gotten there, and they weren't expecting her to say anything.

But Caesar could tell that she was lying.

"Where is she? "he then asked again, more rigid. His eyes narrowed slightly, "I wanna know she's okay, where is she? "

No one else knew how to respond. They all remembered what the nurse had told them; if they said anything to him about Venus's current state, it could really hurt him. Huey put an encouraging hand on Caesar's shoulder, "She's fine, man, "he said with a soft smile, "the doctors just want her to rest. She's with her family, "

The lie came out so smoothly that it took the others a moment to realize that he was lying. Caesar seemed to buy it, and he laid back in his bed, sighing in relief, "That's good, "he whispered.

Huey hated to lie to him like that, but he knew he had to. He couldn't tell him the truth, not yet. Well, whatever part of the truth they knew.

There was a knock at the door, and the group turned to see the nurse. She motioned for Huey to follow her, and he nodded, "Hey man, I'll be back, "he said. Caesar nodded, and Huey stood up.

His palms were sweating as he approached the nurse. He followed her out of the room, and she closed the door behind him quietly.

"Well? Any news? "Huey asked. He needed her to tell him that Venus was alright, that she was just asleep, that she'd woken up from her coma. Seeing the hope in Caesar's eyes, the false hope he'd put there, hurt Huey's heart at an unimaginable level. He needed to know that he hadn't lied to one of his closest friends.

"Miss Venus has been taken back to the emergency room, "the nurse said. Huey felt the sinking feeling in his stomach worsen.

"Her heart stopped. "

* * *

 _Darkness. There was nothing but darkness._

 _As far as she was concerned, she was surrounded by it. It was consuming her, and she didn't like it._

 _She tried to remember what had happened, but the memories were fuzzy. She focused her whole soul on it, the memories, because she needed to know what had happened, why she was there, where she was._

 _Jazmine. She'd seen her car as it was about to make a right turn. The pink Kia flashed vividly in her swollen mind._

 _Cindy. She hadn't seen Cindy, but she could almost hear her after the fact. Her voice had sounded so far away, and faint._

 _Caesar. He had grabbed her by her waist and tried to pull her over the console. However, her seat belt had prevented him from grabbing her fully, and she was stuck._

 _She saw the truck coming at them, but she couldn't stop it. She couldn't stop the truck from colliding with Caesar's own truck. She couldn't stop her leg from getting caught underneath heavy metal. She could feel every tear, every cut, and every jab on her leg, and the hot pain scorched her body._

 _Then came another pain, only at her side. She could feel something hard and sharp tearing into her skin, and she couldn't stop it. She couldn't push it out of the way, it was pinning her down as sharp pain radiated throughout her whole body. Her vision grew cloudy as she saw nothing but red. Even the sky had faded into crimson._

 _She thought she'd screamed. She thought she'd called out for help. Where had she been going?_

 _School. She'd been heading to school with Caesar, her boyfriend. Her boyfriend._

 _She felt the sharp pain from the back of her head as her vision continued to cloud over. The hot pain in her side and the tearing of her leg began to overwhelm her, and she knew she'd blacked out._

 _But why hadn't she woken up yet?_

…

 _I should be awake, she thought. I should be moving._

 _But she was met only with darkness, even though she knew she'd opened her eyes. She could feel like she was seeing, but there was nothing there to see. There was no noise, there was nothing there._

 _I'm dreaming, she thought, wake up!_

 _But she couldn't wake up because it wasn't a dream. The more she realized it, the more apparent it became to her. She wasn't asleep._

 _She was dying._

* * *

Veronica stood behind Vera. The doctors had managed to revive Venus's heart, but it was faint. Very, very faint. Vera overheard the doctors tell her mother that all they could do was wait.

Vera sat at a chair beside Venus inside Venus's hospital room. The room was similar to Caesar's, only it was slightly bigger and had a few more chairs. Vera had her hand on Venus's cold arm. For the first time, she looked at her little sister's broken, bruised body, and her mind shook with so many emotions, she didn't know how to process them.

Venus had a large gash on her forehead that had been stitched up. Her arms were covered in bruises, and she had bandages on both arms starting at the wrists and ending at the elbow. Vera couldn't see it, but she knew that Venus had stitches on her right side, where she'd been impaled. Her right leg was propped up and was wrapped in a hard, white cast.

But to Vera, Venus looked peaceful. Her eyes were shut, and they were almost purple. Her mascara was in clumps under her eyes, and the foundation she'd put on was smearing down her face, leaving spots on her cheeks and forehead that were bare of any makeup. Without much thought, Vera stood up, going over to the only sink in the room. Grabbing a white towel, she wet it, careful to not spill any water on the counters.

Veronica watched her cousin return back to Venus's side with the wet towel, "What are you doing? "Veronica asked. Hot tears poured from Vera's face as she began slowly and gently rubbing the foundation off of Venus's soft, cold face, "Venus doesn't like to sleep in makeup, "Vera whispered back, sniffling and rubbing her nose with one hand, "she hates it, she always has. "

Veronica sighed, "Vera…, "she began, but she knew she was beyond comforting Vera. In that moment, Vera looked to be truly and utterly in despair. She had never seen Vera look so lost, not when her mother and father divorced, not when she lost a friend of hers when she was ten years old, and not when she'd been rejected by her high school sweetheart. In those moments, Vera always found a way to laugh it off, to act like she was okay even if she wasn't. That was something natural for Vera, something she was used to doing. But right now, she looked soulless.

"I was so mean to her, "Vera whispered. Veronica inhaled sharply, and a few tears fell down her cheeks, "I know, "she replied, sighing, "we all were. "it wasn't a lie, either. Vera and Veronica had been cruel to Venus, they'd been mean, they'd been awful. Veronica knew this.

"We're all so mean to each other, "Vera sobbed. She cried as she continued to slowly wipe of the remainder of Venus's smeared makeup. Veronica covered her eyes with her hands, not wanting Vera to catch her bawling like a baby, "and for what? "Vera continued, "Why? Why do we do these things? "she sniffled and choked on her tears.

"Because…we're all broken, "Veronica whispered, barely audible. But Vera heard her.

Without realizing it, she'd nodded in agreement, "We are, "Vera said absently, tears still running down her face, "We're all filled with so much hate. But…Venus never was, "Veronica looked at her younger cousin, lying motionless in a hospital bed. This was the only light that came from their family; Venus was the only one who seemed to have a conscious, the only one who truly cared for other people. She had seen hardships, just like Vera and Veronica and their mothers and aunts. But Venus didn't dwell on them like the rest of her family did. That was was truly made her different, the black sheep, even if no one else would openly admit it.

"No, she never was, "Veronica agreed.

Vera gently touched her sister's face with her fingertips, "And now she's gone. "

* * *

 _Vera?_

 _She could hear her sister crying. But Vera never cries, why is she crying? Is she crying because I'm dying?_

 _Venus looked around, still surrounded in darkness._

 _I don't want to be here anymore, I don't want to be in the dark, she thought, I want to leave!_

 _At her cry for help, something sparkled in the distance. A light…, she thought, a light. Sure that it would be her guide, she began walking towards it. At least, she thought she was. That's how it felt. As she continued, the sparkle became a single light; a bright, white light._

 _Venus felt it's warmth radiate on her, and she smiled. It was so reassuring, and happy, and promising. It was chasing the darkness away._

 _Vera…_

 _She could hear Vera still, in the background. Her voice was fading, now, her cries became softer. Someone else was speaking, too._

 _Veronica._

 _Veronica?_

 _Suddenly, Venus stopped. She stopped to listen, to hear. She could hear Veronica and Vera talking, but she couldn't see them, and she couldn't tell where they were. They seemed to be all around her._

"… _we're all broken, "_

… _Yes…we are, she thought. We all are. But we don't have to be._

" _We're all filled with so much hate. But…Venus never was. "_

 _No, I never was, she thought. No matter how many times you hurt me, I never hated you. Never, not once. You're my sister, and you're my cousin. I never hated you._

 _Venus felt pain in her soul as she began turning away from the light._

 _Vera…Veronica…_

" _And now she's gone. "_

 _No…no wait! I'm not gone! She tried to shout, but there was no sound. It was just darkness. She felt herself running, running away from the light and back into the darkness. The light grew fainter behind her, but she knew there was something else ahead. There had to be._

 _As if to answer her, there was something. It was another light, but it looked more blue than white._

" _And now she's gone. "_

 _The voices were emanating from that light. That had to be the way back. It had to be the way home._

 _I'm not gone! She wanted to scream. I'm right here! She felt herself moving towards the light, running towards it. She had to, she had to catch up, she had to get to it. The darkness seemed to be pulling her away, but she knew she needed to continue. She had to._

 _I'm coming!_

 _As she neared the light, it enveloped itself around her. Venus looked all around, but she couldn't tell which was up or down, right or left. She couldn't see a direction now that the light had devoured her. But she didn't need to, because she knew where she was going._

 _Vera!_

* * *

Vera clenched Venus's hand in her own. The doctors were insisting that they leave so they could run a few more tests on Venus, but Vera didn't really want to leave. She didn't want to leave her little sister alone, even though Venus didn't even know that she was even there. Veronica couldn't bring herself to pry Vera away from Venus, either. But Vera knew that these tests were needed so Venus could get better.

With a heavy heart, Vera slowly began to release Venus's pale, cold hand from her own. She looked over at the heart monitor. It still beeped slowly, as if it was a robot, pacing itself to go slower. She glanced at a clock hanging on the wall; it was nearly five. Venus had been like this for over ten hours, with no change, with no promise of getting better. As Vera continued to look at her sister, the thought that she'd pushed into the back of her mind began to resurface, until it broke through and presented itself in the very front of Vera's mind.

What if she never woke up?

Huey, Riley, Cindy, Jazmine, Ming, and Hiro watched Vera and Veronica from the doorway. Venus's mother had been escorted to an office to discuss the next step in Venus's hospitalization, and she'd taken Victor with her. None of them had ever seen Vera and Veronica act this way. Of course, they all expected Vera and Veronica to love Venus as a family member, but the way they acted towards her often told them differently.

"I guess now they're regretting it, "Jazmine whispered to Huey from their spot at the door. Huey turned to give her a quizzical look, "What do you mean? "he asked. Jazmine gestured to Vera and Veronica, "the way they've been treating her. I think they regret it now, don't you? "she now gave him a quizzical look, with an arched brow.

Huey had to nod; Jazmine was right, after all. They must've been feeling really bad at this point. Their close relative was almost on her deathbed, and they had been treating her like shit for so long. It made him feel bad for them, a little bit. If Venus died, Vera and Veronica would have to live knowing that they treated her horribly during her life, and that they'd never get the chance to apologize.

Vera took a last glance at her little sister's cold, unresponsive body lying on a hospital bed. Gently, she touched Venus's cheek for the last time. Venus's cheek was ice cold as she gently rubbed it with her hand. Vera sucked back a few more tears, forcing them back. She began to turn away to look at Veronica, to tell her that she was ready to go out into the hallway to find her mother.

Then, Vera felt something.

Vera's head snapped back to look at Venus. With squinted eyes, Vera leaned forwards to look at Venus's face closer. Her eyes were still shut, and her skin still felt like ice. Veronica noticed Vera's sudden change in behavior, and approached one side of the bed, "Vera, we have to go now. C'mon, "she tried, trying to coax Vera to go with her. But Vera didn't respond, she only stared at Venus.

Veronica followed Vera's gaze, which were fixed on Venus's pale lips.

Veronica felt herself smiling and she rubbed a few more tears away that had been threatening to fall; she did not need to have a breakdown in front of Venus's friends. Now, she knew why Vera didn't want to leave, why she had stopped. Looking up at the heart monitor, Veronica saw the slightest change in its pace. And she knew why.

Venus was smiling.

The group noticed the slight change in the heart monitor, and Cindy held her breath as Vera began rubbing Venus's face with more pressure. Jazmine and Ming both struggled to peer over their friend's shoulders, into the room, to catch a glimpse at what was going on. Riley felt tears coming on, and he looked over at Huey, whose eyes were already red. Even Hiro had tears falling down his cheeks as Ming squeezed his hand.

A twitch. Vera saw Venus's lips quiver at her touch, now. Looking down, she noticed Venus's fingers twitching as well. It was also slight, but it was there. It was real. Staring back at her face, she saw Venus's eyes move slightly from behind her lids. It wasn't much, but it was something.

"Venus, "Vera said loudly, loud enough for the nurse in the hallway to hear. She pushed past the group at the door, and made her way to Veronica's side, ready to question why they were still there. But when she approached, she caught sight of Venus, and she felt her heart flutter and her brows change from their pinched state to a more relaxed state.

"Well I'll be, "she said, cracking a smile of relief and thankfulness.

Venus's eyes fluttered, and slowly, they opened.

* * *

 **Y'all know I couldn't kill Venus off. She's a MC, that'd be just wrong, especially since I've just started her relationship with Caesar. I wasn't planning to add in an arc like this, but as some of y'all know, most of the character's traits and most of the events that happen in this story are from my personal life and from what I've seen. The car crash scene comes from my own experiences with car crashes. In reality, there is never a true warning for a car crash unless you're quick enough to catch it, sadly. They're unpredictable.  
I also didn't really want to drag out Venus's coma/state of unconsciousness for several chapters. Overall, she spends over 10 hours unconscious. **

**xoxo, Queen**


	17. UPDATE

Hey, Queen here.

I do not know when I will be able to update any of my stories because I am currently living through Hurricane Harvey in Houston. There has been a lot of devastation in my area, & there's a chance I might have to evacuate. I will update as soon as I am able to.

xoxo, Queen


	18. The P Word

It was going to be a very cold and long winter. Mr. Freeman, otherwise known as Granddad, could sense this as he stepped outside of his home in Woodcrest and onto his backyard porch. It was midday, but there was no sun; it was instead covered behind large clouds. The absence of the sun made the sky look dark and stormy like, although there was no forecast for rain that day. The wind blew harshly, shaking the leaves off of trees and forcing the grass to dance. Alone, Mr. Freeman gazed at his backyard, coffee mug in hand, wearing a night robe, a pair of pajama pants, and green house slippers. Slowly, he made his way over to a worn-out chair in need of repair, and sat down anyways, ignoring the creak the chair emitted.

He glanced at his beat-up, but usable watch: exactly noon. Mr. Freeman thought about his two grandchildren, Huey and Riley, and what they must be doing. In his mind, he knew that the two were at school, at least Huey would be. They were most likely with their little girlfriends, the mixed junior girl Jazmine and the white sophomore Cindy. Mr. Freeman recalled countless conversations over the two girls between himself and his grandsons, and knew that both were equally infatuated with the girls. Riley could talk about Cindy for hours, while Huey's face would turn slightly red and he'd bashfully leave the conversation.

Mr. Freeman took a sip of his warmed coffee. It was never too late for coffee. He sat back and enjoyed the silence of his surroundings. While he enjoyed listening to his grandsons, he enjoyed silence far more.

He wasn't expecting to see his grandsons until later on that evening. At the thought of this, his expression slightly darkened, and he set his coffee down on the cement porch. He clasped his hands together and fidgeted with his robe. Both Huey and Riley had started coming home later after Huey joined the drumline and Riley made the basketball team, but now they rarely seemed to even live in the house anymore. They came home to bathe, sleep, and eat. Mr. Freeman knew where they were going, but it made him antsy nonetheless. He furrowed his brow and propped his hand under his chin, resting it there.

It had been a little over a week since the accident involving two of Huey and Riley's friends; a tall boy named Caesar and his younger girlfriend, Venus. From what Mr. Freeman was able to gather from his flustered and angry grandsons, the two were involved in a serious car accident that left Venus in a coma for nearly an entire day. Huey and Riley had missed the whole school day with their girlfriends to wait at the hospital, along with a few other friends that were worried about Caesar and Venus. According to his grandsons, both Caesar and Venus survived, but there is always a price to pay for escaping death.

Mr. Freeman sighed absently, picking up his coffee again to take another sip. He stood up and headed back inside, locking the door behind him. Suddenly, his home phone rang. He slowly picked it up, "Hello? "he said into the line.

"Robert? Is that you? "a familiar voice asked. Mr. Freeman chuckled, "Well, well, Tom, long time no see, eh? "he chuckled at Mr. Dubois's embarrassed chuckle, "Yes, well, I needed to ask you a question; do you know if Jazmine is going to be with Huey today? "

"Jazmine? "he arched a brow, which Mr. Dubois could not see, "I dunno, why don't you call her? "

"I've tried to, but her phone must be off, "Mr. Freeman could hear the worry seeping from Mr. Dubois's voice as he spoke. Mr. Freeman only waved him off, "Now Tom, don't worry about Jazmine. Ain't nothing gonna happen to her! She's at school, I'm sure she'll be leaving with Huey to the…, "Mr. Freeman trailed off as Mr. Dubois sighed, "Yeah, to the hospital. "he finished.

Mr. Freeman scratched his head, "I know they've been going over every day since it happened, "Mr. Freeman said, "but you gotta understand, Tom, they feel bad for the girl. Who wouldn't? "

"Yeah, yeah, I know, "Mr. Dubois went on, "but Jazmine's just been staying out later and later. I don't know if she's even going to the hospital anymore. "

"Huey says she goes with him, Cindy, and Riley. If there's one person outta my family that's honest to the bone, it's Huey, "Mr. Freeman assured him, "Huey may be a little revolutionist, but he's not dishonest. He tells me everything when I ask, and he's been telling me that they've been going to the hospital every day. "

There was silence between the two for a moment. Finally, Mr. Dubois decided to break it, "Have you met Venus's mother? "Mr. Dubois asked. Mr. Freeman nodded, and then replied, "Oh yes, I met her once when I went to the hospital with Huey and Riley. She's an airhead, but much of Venus's family seems to be that way. "Mr. Dubois chuckled softly, "Yes, I can agree to that. They are a little…odd. Especially in the way they deal with tragedy, but who am I to judge them? "

"Nobody, "Mr. Freeman replied, and the two laughed, "Well, I have to get going, and if you do get ahold of Huey, can you ask him about Jazmine? "

"Will do, Tom, "Mr. Freeman agreed, and the two hung up. Mr. Freeman set his phone down on the countertop and hurried over to his recliner. He grabbed the remote and sat himself down, turning on the TV to tune out the world.

Meanwhile, a nervous Mr. Dubois stood inside his home. His wife, Sarah, was home as well, and the two were equally worried for their daughter, but Mr. Dubois was more so. Mrs. Dubois walked into the foyer to find Tom scanning through his phone, looking for Jazmine's number.

"Come on, Tom, "Mrs. Dubois said, "she's not going to answer, she's still in school. Just relax for a second, okay? "she approached him from the side, but Mr. Dubois was too absorbed into what he was doing to pay attention. Mrs. Dubois frowned, "Honey, please listen to me. "

At this, Mr. Dubois glanced up at her, "Sweetie, this is very serious, "he began, but his wife interrupted, "I know it's serious, but you can't be breathing down her neck 24/7, "she snapped. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave her husband a look, "you have to trust her more. "

"I do trust her, Sarah, "Mr. Dubois replied curtly, "but I don't trust the people around her, "he set his phone down, "think Sarah, what if Jazmine gets into an accident, too? She was so close to that truck, Sarah, it could have been her getting hit! What if he'd swerved into her car? Jazmine could've been involved in that accident, and she could be involved in one right now! "

"Tom, you're worrying too much! "Mrs. Dubois objected, "Yes, I worry about Jazmine, especially after this incident, "she grimaced, "but we can't keep calling her and bothering her. Yes, it was completely scary. But Jazmine is trying to comfort her friend now, and we can't stop her from doing that. "she sighed, "Please Tom, Jazmine just wants to help her friend out. Who knows what she's going through now that she's…, "she trailed off, unable to continue.

"Paralyzed, "Mr. Dubois concluded, "and honey, it's a big maybe. "

* * *

"What do you think of these? "Jazmine asked Huey. They had just gotten out of their practices. It was later on in the evening, and they had stopped at a grocery store not too far from their school with Riley and Cindy, who had walked off in a different direction together. Jazmine was stooped over the flowers, looking particularly at the roses, before Huey replied, "I think the red ones are nice, "Huey shrugged, "Jazmine, I don't know much about flowers. "

"Well it's not hard for you to see which ones look nicer, "Jazmine replied simply, picking out a medium sized bouquet of red roses. They strode to the checkout area and paid for the flowers. Waiting for them at the front of the store were Cindy and Riley, talking to each other and laughing. As soon as they'd neared the two, they stood up and followed Huey and Jazmine outside.

"Red? "Cindy asked Jazmine. Jazmine nodded, "Venus seems like a classic red rose kind of girl, "she explained, eyeing the fresh roses in her hands. They made their way to Huey's car, hopping inside. Huey quickly sped out of the parking lot and headed towards the hospital.

"You think Caesar's already there? "Riley asked from the backseat. Huey nodded, "Yeah, he texted me an hour ago. He skipped drumline practice to go be with her. "Caesar had been admitted from the hospital a few days previous, but he was there every day anyways. He couldn't stay away from the hospital; as long as Venus was there, he'd be there.

There was a heavy weight that weighed on whoever brought up Venus now. Dozens of emotions ran through each of them every time her name was brought up, now more so than ever due to her current condition. But every time, Jazmine's eyes would water up and she'd look away, wiping away tears that had accumulated in her eyes. Cindy also felt the need to cry, but to avoid doing so, she avoided the topic altogether. Cindy didn't want to cry because she felt that if she did, it would only confirm the current dilemma.

Word had traveled fast around school, and there was no hiding it now; after Venus had awoken and more tests were done, the doctors were afraid that Venus was now paralyzed. It wasn't a definite yes, because she still had feeling in her legs. But now, the feeling in her legs seemed to be dwindling, and with every test, her results got worse. No one had really told Venus, mainly because no one knew how to. The doctors were even afraid to tell her about it, even though they had to.

When Caesar heard of the news, he was both shocked, saddened, and full of despair. He had no idea how Venus would cope with it if it played out, but he knew that everything would change. She wouldn't be able to walk anymore, and the thought of that scared everyone.

The four drove in silence to the hospital. Once there, they made their way inside. The nurses recognized them by now, and knew who they were there for. They were led to Venus's hospital room, "She's in there right now with her sister and her boyfriend, "the nurse said, allowing the four to walk inside.

Venus's hospital room was decorated with balloons and flowers; gifts sent from other students, teachers, and her family members. There were daisies, roses, sunflowers, lilacs, lilies, and tulips piled onto the tables, desks, and chairs, and pink, purple, and green balloons were tied to poles. She had a mountain of 'get well' cards on the table beside her bed, each signed by a different person.

Venus herself was laid out on her bed, eyes closed, and she was still. Caesar sat beside her, and Vera sat a little farther away, on the phone with someone, presumably her mother. At the sound of the door opening, Venus's eyes weakly opened, and she slowly sat up, smiling. The four eyed her with an internal feeling of sorrow. She looked better than what they'd expected; her long hair was tied back into a pony tail, although it was frizzy and unkempt. She wore no makeup, and had dark purple bags under her puffed up eyes. Her skin was a pasty color, like she was sick, and her normally bright eyes were clouded over and misty. She smiled as they approached, and was able to adjust herself with the help of Caesar.

"Hey Venus, "Jazmine said, smiling. She placed the rose on Venus's lap, "Th-thanks, "she said warmly, but her voice cracked. Caesar took the flowers from her, "I'll go find a vase, "he said, backing away from the bed. Riley and Huey decided to follow him outside, while Cindy and Jazmine stayed with Venus.

"How are you feeling? "Cindy asked. She took the seat that Caesar had been sitting in, and Jazmine pulled up a spare chair beside her. Venus coughed, "I'm feeling fine, "she replied, but she sounded hoarse and unsure, "I have a few more tests today. They should know what to do by tonight. "the waver and uncertainty in her voice was apparent, and neither girl knew how to respond.

Meanwhile, Caesar was aimlessly walking through the hall, with Huey and Riley behind him, "Yo Caesar, wait up! "Riley called out. Caesar, however, seemed too preoccupied to pay attention.

"Wait, "Huey reached out to stop Caesar. Caesar did finally stop, and was forced to turn around by Huey. Huey caught a glance at Caesar's eyes before he covered them with a free hand; they were full of tears, threatening to overflow. Huey pulled Caesar over to a cluster of empty seats, where the three sat down. Caesar stared at the floor.

"Are you alright? "Huey asked, beyond worried. Caesar shook his head, "Nah man…everything's not alright, "he set the flowers down on an empty seat next to him and buried his face in his hands, propping his elbows on his thighs, "things just seem to be getting…worse. "

"How worse? "Riley asked. Caesar shrugged, "The doctors don't know what we're gonna do about Venus, "he answered, "they're telling her to stay 'optimistic', "he clenched his jaw as he continued to speak, "but they keep bullshitting us. They run a few tests, tell us to wait, and then nothing. Absolutely nothing. Venus sits in the room crying with her sister, and I can't do a damn thing about it. "the tension in his voice took the brother's aback, but they understood.

There was a moment of silence, where neither Huey nor Riley knew what to say to make him feel better. They both truthfully believed that there was nothing that they could do to comfort Caesar by this point, "It's my fault, "Caesar then whispered under his breath.

"What? "Huey arched a brow, "It's my fault, "Caesar said again, louder, "I should've been paying attention, but I wasn't. I should've seen that goddamn car coming from a mile away! "

"Caesar, this ain't your fault, "Riley objected, frowning, "you didn't know that some jackass would start speeding and hit y'all! "Caesar scoffed, "I should've done something, I tried to do something…but it wasn't enough. "he sat up and leaned his head back, touching the wall with his head, "And now Venus is probably paralyzed forever. "

"No she's not, "Huey argued, "you can't believe that, for both your sake and Venus's. You can't believe she's paralyzed, "Huey felt like he was pleading with Caesar, but Caesar was too angry to listen. Caesar clenched his fists, before releasing them. He hung his head, "I-I don't know what to do, "he admitted softly.

Silent sobs shook his body as he struggled to stay composed. Tears fell down his cheeks, and he wiped them away roughly; he didn't want them to see him cry, but he couldn't stop himself from crying. His shoulders jerked up and down as he cried, and he balled his hands up.

"Come on, let's go back, "Riley suggested, "but you can't keep crying like that in front of Venus. "Caesar nodded, standing with the two as he rubbed his face furiously, forcing his tears to come to an abrupt halt. He picked up the flowers and began walking back towards the room with Riley and Huey.

They found Venus's room again, and just before entering, they heard a collective gasp. It was coming from Venus's room. Caesar's eyes went wide with worry as he pushed past Huey and Riley, opening the door and rushing inside, "Venus, did something…, "

Huey and Riley were close behind him, "Bro, why'd you stop? "Riley asked, pushing Caesar forward. He and Huey stopped in their tracks, mouth agape at the scene before them. Cindy and Jazmine were wide-eyed, but as Huey noticed, Vera was no longer in the room. But that didn't really seem important.

Venus stood beside her bed. She was shaking slightly, and was using her bed as support for her weight. Her legs seemed to bend inwards, with her knees almost touching and her feet pointed towards each other, but she was standing. After a shaky breath, Venus forced herself to fully stand, resituating her legs so that her knees faced forward, like normal. She planted her socked feet onto the cold tile floor firmly, and gripped her bed with as much strength as she could to keep herself upright.

"Venus…, "Caesar gasped, but a smile spread across his face as tears streamed down his cheeks. Cindy and Jazmine backed away as Caesar slowly approached, "you're standing…, "

Venus gave a small, fragile smile, "I told you I'd be able to walk again, didn't I? "she asked, grinning at his bewildered expression, "I didn't think you'd be able to do this so soon, "he admitted. He stopped a few feet in front of her, taking in the fact that she could actually stand on her own, sort of.

Venus, however, scanned the room, "Where's Vera? "she asked. Cindy shrugged, "she walked out about five minutes ago, but she didn't say where she was going. "

"I didn't even see her leave, "Jazmine admitted, her eyes were still trained on Venus and her newfound ability. She smiled, "but I bet she'll be excited to see you standing up now. Next thing is walking! "Venus chuckled alongside both Cindy and Jazmine, but something in her stomach told her that something was wrong. Vera hadn't left her side all week, why would she leave now?

As if to answer her question, rushed footsteps bounded down the hall and stopped at Venus's door. The group turned around and spotted a shaken up and ghostly Vera. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and her face was bare. Her normally tanned skin was pale, paler than earlier, and her eyes were wide with fear. However, she took a look at Venus, and her expression softened.

"Venus…you're standing…, "she whispered in disbelief. Venus nodded, smiling, "I told you Vera, I'd walk again, "

Vera clasped her hands over her mouth in awe, "I don't believe it…, "she said. But then, her eyes became grim, and her hands fell back down to their sides. Venus saw the change in her attitude, "What's wrong? "she asked, leaning back onto the bed slightly. She then pushed herself forwards, releasing the bed, and stood freely on her own. She shook slightly, but regained her composure to look Vera in the eyes.

"I…, "Vera seemed to hesitate, as if she was unsure as to what to say or how to reply. But Venus, now impatient, needed Vera to answer her, "Did something happen? "she asked, trying to pry her sister for an answer.

Vera gulped nervously, and sighed, "Venus, something did happen…something bad, "she said, pressing her lips together tightly. Huey and Riley did not like where this conversation was going, "Well, what? "Venus asked. She stood up stalk straight and was preparing to take a few steps over to Vera, when she spoke.

"Veronica was admitted into a mental hospital. "

And Venus's legs gave out, and she fell face first into the floor.

* * *

 **It's been a while, guys. I've gotten back into a normalish routine since Hurricane Harvey. I survived the storm, thankfully, although things got pretty busy around my area due to it. There were lots of destroyed property, I was out of school for over two weeks, and I knew a lot of people that lost everything because of the storm. I was able to ride out of the storm with my brother, and we got into some pretty dangerous situations a few times because when something bad happens, people just lose their shit and think it's a free for all. There were a lot of people doing good in Houston, but there were a lot of people doing bad, too. I'm glad I'm going to be able to get back into writing again. Sorry for the long wait guys!**

 **xoxo, Queen**


	19. Gloomy Gray

**I'm back with another update (:**

* * *

Veronica awoke to loud banging on the wall. She bolted upwards, sweat running down her face like bullets. The room was dark, with a small lamp in the corner as the only light source. A window was to her right, but there was no sunlight coming in; it must've been late. Veronica began breathing heavily, out of fear. _Where am I? What's going on?_ A million questions zoomed through her mind, but she had only one answer: she knew she needed to get up.

She jolted her arm, but found herself restrained. Looking down, she realized that her arms were strapped to the bed by her wrists. Wriggling around, she realized her torso and legs were also strapped down, leaving her immobilized. Now panicking, she began violently shaking, thrusting her body around, but she wasn't strong enough to break her bonds.

"Help! "she called out, "Help! I've been kidnapped! "it was the only logical answer as to why she was there, laying on a bed in a dimly lit room in the middle of the night, strapped to an uncomfortable bed with no one else around her. As she struggled, she heard a door knob jiggle. Looking to her left, she realized that there was a door there, with a thin window. Yellow light streamed in, but it was quickly covered by a slim shadow: a figure of someone.

Relieved, Veronica sighed as the door opened, allowing for more light to come in. A woman in a white coat with dark brown hair pulled back into a tight pony tail entered the room. She had dark skin and large, black framed glasses, and in her hands she carried a brown clipboard. She smiled sweetly at Veronica, who only pulled harder at her restraints, "Please, you have to help me! "Veronica gasped. She couldn't hold it back; tears streamed down her face and onto the bed. She choked back sobs, "I-I don't know why I'm here, where am I? Why am I here? Who are you? Where's my mom?! "she continued to frantically pull at her restraints.

The woman placed a hand on her shoulder, "Calm down, please Ms. Lizaben, "she said coolly. The calmness of her voice caused Veronica to relax a little, but she still shook with fear, "there's nothing wrong, please, you need to relax, "the woman went on.

"Wh-who are you? "Veronica croaked. The woman smiled, "I'm Mrs. Rinda, remember? "the woman, Mrs. Rinda, arched a brow, "you don't remember meeting me earlier? "she then asked. Veronica rolled her eyes, "I think I would've remembered meeting you, "she snapped back. She pulled at her restraints, "why am I strapped to this goddamn bed? "she demanded, "Why am I here? You still haven't answered any of my questions! "Veronica was now getting angry. Her eyebrow twitched, and she pursed her lips.

"Ms. Lizaben, you're in a…hospital, "Mrs. Rinda said slowly, "you had somewhat of an accident, and your mother had you brought here. "

"My mother? "Veronica arched a brow, "Well where is she? Shouldn't she be in here with me? "

"We asked your mother to wait in the waiting room, but we've sent her home for the night, "Mrs. Rinda said again, "she was very worried about you, and wanted to make sure you'd be safe. "

"Well why am I restrained? "Veronica then asked, thrusting her arms and legs up to emphasize the straps that held her down. Mrs. Rinda pursed her lips, "Those are for…protection, "she said carefully. Veronica laughed aloud, "Protection? From what? No one's here to hurt me, right? "she gave her doctor, or nurse, a quizzical look. Mrs. Rinda shook her head, "No dear, those are in place for the protection of the staff. "

Veronica's face fell into confusion, "You don't remember? "Mrs. Rinda asked, "You don't remember coming here? "

"Obviously not! "Veronica snapped back, now getting annoyed, "So why don't you tell me? Aren't you obligated by law or something to tell patients why they're in the hospital? "

Mrs. Rinda nodded, "Ms. Lizaben, you're not really in a…traditional hospital, "she said, "you were admitted here early today by your mother…but you were in an awful state. You attacked a few members of my staff, destroyed property, and attempted to escape twice. "she studied Veronica's shocked expression, "But I take it…you don't remember anything, at all? "

Veronica shook her head in disbelief, "N-no…, "she gasped for air; suddenly she couldn't breathe, "no…why am I here? "she asked again. Tears began falling down her face again as she stared at Mrs. Rinda, "Why did my mom bring me here? What is this place? "

"Dear…you're at the Wuncler Mental Hospital, "Mrs. Rinda said. At the words 'mental hospital', Veronica felt her whole world around her come crashing down. Suddenly, the light from the lamp became too bright for her. The air around her seemed to get hotter, and it filled her lungs with hot air that threatened to burn them. She felt a pressure in her chest as she watched Mrs. Rinda's lips move, but she couldn't hear what she was saying.

"Dear, you apparently had some kind of 'breakdown', as your mother described it to me, "Mrs. Rinda went on, "you went ballistic, breaking and throwing things, screaming and crying. Your mother didn't know what to do. "

Vague memories began rushing back to Veronica's mind all at once. She could hear herself screaming in her head, and she could hear things shattering and breaking all around her. The room began to double, and she saw two of everything.

"Ms. Lizaben, are you alright? "she heard Mrs. Rinda say, but she couldn't answer. Mrs. Rinda touched Veronica's forehead with one hand, setting the clipboard down, "She's burning up badly, "Veronica heard her say. Suddenly, she saw Mrs. Rinda lean over and touch something. A noise, like an alarm, began ringing, and it shook Veronica's head.

Suddenly, she was being pushed. People were around her, shouting. She could barely see at least three more people around her. But everything became hazy, and then it went black.

* * *

Jazmine looked out the window of her math class, staring aimlessly at the blue sky. Dark clouds were looming in the back, threatening to bring rain. It was going to turn into a very gloomy day, but it had already been pretty gloomy for a while.

It was Thursday, nearly a week and a half since Venus and Caesar had been in their car accident. It had also been four days since Veronica was admitted into a mental hospital. From what Jazmine was told by Vera and Victor, Veronica had a complete mental breakdown on Monday morning. She'd been throwing things, screaming, crying, yelling at seemingly nothing. Her mother stated that Veronica always had "problems", but she always kept them under control. Until Monday, when she completely destroyed her room and sent a glass vase flying at her mom's head. Her mother called the police, who in turn brought her to the mental hospital for an evaluation. After it had been determined that she was indeed suffering from a mental breakdown, Veronica was admitted in as a patient by her mother, and had been there ever since.

Jazmine didn't know what to feel about Veronica's situation. Veronica had always been horrible to her; she'd called her names, belittled her, made fun of her ethnicity, tried to embarrass her on numerous occasions, and often made Jazmine feel horrible in general. But because she was Venus's cousin…Jazmine felt bad for Veronica.

She also realized that Veronica has probably lost everything. The day previous, Jazmine was given the position as head cheerleader, with her coach telling her that Veronica would be out of school for a while, with no date as to when she'd be back, or if she'd be capable of returning to cheer at all. Veronica's name was no longer called out for attendance in class, and her locker was cleared out by Vera on Tuesday.

Jazmine also felt bad because homecoming was that Saturday. Veronica had been going on and on about the occasion since the summertime, and now there was no chance of her getting to go. Homecoming was a very important event, especially since juniors and seniors had a chance of being elected homecoming king and queen. Jazmine knew that Veronica had no competition, but now that she was gone, anyone could claim the title.

The bell rang, and Jazmine stood up, collecting her things, "Remember class, vote for homecoming king and queen in your homeroom today! "her teacher called out as students began trickling out of the classroom and into the hallway. Jazmine blew a loose curl from her face as she walked into the hall. She pulled at her uniform's skirt, _I wish we didn't have to wear stupid uniforms,_ she thought to herself.

Suddenly, she was met by Cindy, who was at her side in moments, "Hey girl! Long time no see, "she joked. Truthfully, they had seen each other since that morning. Jazmine rolled her eyes, "Are you going to the homecoming game tomorrow? "she asked. Cindy nodded, "Yeah, everyone is! "she replied. Cindy tossed a blonde braid over her shoulder, "Are we going shopping today after school? "she asked. Jazmine nodded, "Yeah, I don't have practice today. "

Cindy and Jazmine had both been asked by Huey and Riley a few days previous. Riley had asked Cindy in the most grandiose way he could: in front of the whole school at lunch. He'd made a huge sign with the help of some kids from his art class, and had gotten a basketball and wrote "It would make my heart bounce with joy if you'd go with me to prom". There were pictures and videos of the event, with everyone applauding when Cindy had said yes.

Huey had asked Jazmine in a more subdued, intimate way. He had gone to her home with a bouquet of roses and simply popped the question when she'd answered the door. Her parents had taken numerous photos of the two, and Jazmine did not hesitate in posting them to her social medias. Jazmine didn't know about Cindy, but the moment she had made the date public, she was flooded with questions from other girls. These other girls had wanted Huey to ask them out, because it was no secret that almost every girl in their school had some kind of crush on Huey Freeman. Jazmine knew that this was mostly because of the way he looked.

Unbeknownst to Jazmine, she was also idolized and heavily sought out by other boys. Due to her naivete, she never noticed the stares or the winks or the comments left under her pictures on Instagram. She was unable to notice anyone other than Huey.

Jazmine stopped at her locker for a moment. She was about to head to her history class, her last period of the day, and then spend the remainder of her evening doing some last minute shopping with Cindy. She and Cindy were also planning to visit Venus the next day before the game. She spotted Caesar walking down the hallway, and wanted to call out his name, but stopped herself. She hadn't really spoken to him alone since Venus went into the hospital, and didn't know if she should. They had never really spoken before anyways, and she didn't know whether or not her presence would bring any awkwardness. So, as Caesar began walking by her, Jazmine did not say anything. Caesar obviously didn't notice her; he had his head kept facing downwards. He walked past her and made a turn down another hallway, disappearing.

Jazmine felt a pang in her chest; pity. She now felt bad for not talking to him. Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt an arm snake around her waist. Turning around, she was met with Huey, his stoic face softening as she gazed at him, "Hey Huey! "she forced herself to smile to mask her sadness. Huey seemed to buy it, as he only hugged her in response.

Cindy, who had strolled away to find Riley, returned with him, arms linked together, "Hey Riley, "Jazmine smiled as sweetly as she could, the way she normally would. Riley nodded her way, "'Sup, "he pulled Cindy slightly closer to him as a group of students passed by, "Are you going to the game tomorrow night, Riley? "Jazmine asked. Riley nodded, "Of course, with Cindy. I wouldn't miss seeing my brother playing in the band, "he gave Huey a teasing smirk.

Huey had gotten increasingly better in drumline. Jazmine had learned that Huey practiced during school mostly, and after school with the band. The drumline instructor mainly taught actual lessons during the school hours, and would mainly teach marching after school for a few hours. She hadn't heard him play, but was excited to see him.

"What about Caesar? "Cindy then asked. Huey's face turned grim, "Caesar's decided to rejoin drumline next semester. "he replied simply. Truthfully, he had only joined drumline because of Caesar, and now that Caesar was putting off a semester, Huey had no real reason to stay in. But, the band was apparently desperate for more drumline members, and Huey felt like he would feel bad if he just up and left altogether. So, he stayed put, and hoped that Caesar would return the next semester.

"Well, we'll see you later, "Cindy said. She gave Riley a quick kiss on the cheek before taking ahold of Jazmine's arm. Jazmine gave Huey a small hand squeeze before following Cindy away.

* * *

Huey sat in his last period class, waiting for the class to actually start. The teacher, a Mr. Kenny, had left the room for a moment, and had instructed the students to study. Of course, Huey was the only one who had actually taken him seriously, and had pulled out some books for another class. His peers mingled with each other during the duration of his absence, and everyone was talking about homecoming. The main topic of everyone's discussion was Veronica.

It was no secret that Veronica had cracked a few days previous, this Huey knew. Everyone questioned why she had all of a sudden left school, and rumors spread. The biggest rumor was that Veronica had a mental breakdown due to the stress of Venus's car crash, but Huey knew that wasn't the truth. To be honest, Huey didn't know what the truth was. He didn't know why Veronica had suddenly gone off the deep end. Whatever the reason was, only her mother would know, and maybe Vera or Venus, if they knew her well enough.

A few moments later, Mr. Kenny returned, "Students, pay attention, "he instructed. Students that had been standing returned to their seats, and a silence fell over the class. Huey put his book down and stared ahead of him, "I have an announcement to make, we have a new student in our class. "he gestured towards the door, and everyone's eyes turned to face the new kid.

Huey didn't pay much attention, he found himself staring off into space, until a collective murmur went through the classroom. He heard a few gasps, a few snickers, and more silence. Huey then directed his attention to whomever had entered the room.

A young girl about his age had walked through the door. She was tall, taller than Cindy probably, and wore the regular Wuncler uniform with black Nikes. What caught Huey's attention was her skin: she was black. She was darker than Huey, and her skin looked flawless in the lighting of the classroom. She had a medium sized afro kept back by a dark red headband, and her eyes were the color of chocolates. She smiled at the class, revealing her single dimple and teeth whiter than paper. She carried a large bookbag with her, and Huey noticed a paperback version of Frankenstein in her hands, "Class, this is our new student, who is going to be joining us for the rest of the year, "their teacher said, "Why don't you tell the class your name, a little bit about yourself, miss…, "

"Lela, "she responded in a thick accident, "Lela Danner. I'm seventeen, I'm a junior, and I moved here from Ohio, but I am originally from Lagos, Nigeria. "her words flowed effortlessly off of her tongue, captivating the students. Even Huey was somewhat entranced by her way of speaking. However, he shook it off, and resumed looked downwards.

"Very well, take a seat please, "Mr. Kenny instructed. Lela nodded, smiled again, and began walking towards the windows…where Huey happened to be sitting. She took a seat in front of him, placing her bookbag down on the floor. Mr. Kenny went on with his lesson, and Huey took notes and answered questions.

"Okay now, you all have a heavy assignment due tomorrow, so I'm going to give you the rest of the class to work on it, "Mr. Kenny announced, returning to his overflowing desk. Huey pulled out their assignment and began reading over a few passages, when he heard the seat in front of him creak. Huey looked up, and was met face to face with Lela, who stared at him intriguingly, "Hello, "she said, smiling. Huey only nodded in returned, "I'm afraid I don't know very many people here yet, "Lela went on, chuckling awkwardly, "might I know your name? "

"Huey, "Huey replied, "My name is Huey Freeman. "he stuck out a hand, and Lela took it with her slender one, shaking it, "Very nice to meet you, "she said, smiling again. She glanced around the room, "I am still very new to this school, but it doesn't seem too…, "

"Diverse? "Huey smirked. She nodded, "Yeah, diverse. "

"Well, this's Woodcrest for you, "he replied, flipping through his notes, "the majority of the population is white. There are only a handful of other ethnicities here at the school. "

"How long have you lived here? "Lela then asked. Huey glanced up at her, "I've only been here a few months, "he replied, "My brother and I moved here from Chicago over the summer. "

"Oh, Chicago? "Lela mused, "I lived in a small town in Ohio, I've always wanted to know what it's like to live in a such a big city. "

"Aren't you from Lagos? "Huey asked, "That's a pretty big city. "Lela chuckled, "It is, but I only lived there when I was a toddler. My family moved to the states when I was four, so I don't remember Lagos very much. We went straight to Ohio and never left until a few days ago when we moved here. "

"Well, why would you move here? "Huey inquired. Lela shrugged, "My father found a better job here in Woodcrest. Plus, he'd heard that this is a pretty nice city compared to others. "

Huey couldn't help but roll his eyes, "Well, welcome to Woodcrest. "he said. Lela beamed at him, "Thank you! "she gave him a big smile, one that reminded him of Jazmine. "I heard there's a homecoming this Saturday? "Lela arched a thick brow. Huey nodded, "Yeah, our homecoming game is tomorrow. "

"Oh, when? "she asked. "At six. "Huey began packing his things to leave, as there were only five minutes left until the bell, "Do you think it will be fun? "Lela asked. Huey shrugged, "I hope so, I have to go. "he admitted, "I'm on the drumline, I'll be in the halftime show. "

"Oh, that sounds like fun! "Lela gathered her things and stood with Huey as the bell rang. The two began walking out of the class together, "I don't know about that, "Huey shrugged. "I wish I was musically inclined. I can't play an instrument or do anything musically related the save my life, "Lela laughed at herself. Huey smirked at her statement. They rounded a corner and headed for the front of the school. Huey normally waited there for Riley before heading to his car.

"Do you know where the buses are? "Lela then asked. Huey nodded, "Yeah, they're on that side, "he pointed to the right side of the school, near the teacher's parking lot, "They should be there now, but they'll leave in a few minutes. "Lela nodded, "Okay, thank you. "she gave him another award winning smile, "Hopefully I'll see you around school? "she gave him an earnest look, as if she wanted to see him again. Huey only gave her a slight nod, "Yes, in Mr. Kenny's class, "he replied absently, oblivious to her staring at him and giving him sideways glances every time he turned his head to scan the crowds for Riley.

"Alright, I'll see you then Huey. "Lela began walking away, towards the buses, her hips swinging with every step. Huey, however, had turned around just as Riley approached him, "Yo nigga, who was that? "Riley asked, arching a brow, "I didn't know you actually talk to other females besides like Cindy and Venus. "Huey rolled his eyes, "That was Lela, "he replied, "she's a new student, I have her for Mr. Kenny's class. "

"Lela? Hmm, "Riley began smirking. Huey arched a brow, "What? "he asked. Riley turned away, "Nothing nigga, you're stupid. "

* * *

Venus stared absently out of her hospital room window. She searched the dark sky for a trace of sunlight, but the thick, grey clouds covered the sun's rays and threatened to rain down on Woodcrest. It seemed to have rained almost every day this week, and the week before that. Venus's mind wasn't really on the rain, or the gloominess of the sky, her mind was on herself. She glanced down at her legs. Every day, she forced herself to try to stand, even though one leg was booted, with her foot sticking out. She needed to stand, though, she needed to try. She needed to know that she was getting better, that her leg would heal and she'd be able to fully walk again soon. She knew that a normal healing would take six to eight weeks, and she was aiming to be healed in that time frame. She had tried to stand earlier, but today was a particularly hard day for her. It's what made her start thinking about herself.

Venus wasn't one to self-reflect, and she wasn't one to have self-pity. But after her accident, and the threat of never being able to walk again, it woke her up. It made her think long and hard about herself, about who she had become since her middle school years.

Veronica wasn't the only one who had secrets. Everyone in their family did, and Venus knew almost every one of them. It wasn't like she tried to know, she overhead her mother and aunts gossiping about her and her cousins all the time. Her family was practically an open book; all of her aunts and her mother were divorced, their fathers were either absent or too busy to notice them, and so on. But there were little secrets here and there that Venus picked up on when she'd overhear her mother talking to her aunts.

For instance, Vera was an alcoholic. Vera had been drinking since her sophomore year in high school, and only remained under wraps because she was afraid she'd hurt her image. It was one of the few things their mother couldn't stand about Vera, but never really cared enough to try to stop her from drinking. In fact, she tended to ignore it, if anything. Vera always carried a small flask in her purse that she'd slip out when she was certain no one was looking, but Venus was.

Victor was a thief. He stole from stores constantly, wherever he went. Venus noticed him stealing small toys when he was younger, when their mother wasn't looking. He grew up to stealing more than just toys; occasionally, he stole cash, too. Venus didn't know exactly how he'd do it, but she did know that every once in a while he'd come home with something expensive and wads of cash stuck into his pockets. When he'd do this, Venus knew that he'd gone to the mall to steal, again. It was like an addiction, a drug.

Venus herself was the odd child. While her siblings and cousins tried to keep their secrets, their flaws, under wraps, Venus didn't. Venus embraced her differences, she embraced what she loved or whatever she loved to do. She found no shame in herself when she was younger. It was only when she'd hit middle school that she realized how careful she really needed to be.

Venus sighed as she sat up. Her side no longer hurt as much, but she was always on painkillers anyways. What Venus was also thinking about was the dance that Saturday; Caesar had asked her to go, and now she couldn't.

The tears welded in her eyes, but she forced them down. She didn't want to cry over something that seemed so small; she'd have other dances, other homecomings. This wasn't her last one. But it was her first high school dance, and she was going to miss it. That seemed like a pretty big deal to Venus.

Venus was also thinking about Veronica. Veronica had been in a mental hospital for a few days now, and Venus didn't know when she'd be getting out. She hadn't seen her since, either, since neither could really leave their hospitals. Venus hoped Veronica was okay, but from what Vera was telling her, Veronica was in pretty bad shape.

She heard the door click, and it opened, allowing light from the hallway to pool into the room. She turned to look at the door, and smiled at her visitor.

"Caesar, "

* * *

 **Sorry for not updating, last semester was crazy, and I was super busy with school. This is my last year of high school, and I've been trying to keep my grades and rank up.**

 **xoxo, Queen**


	20. Temptation

**Decided to upload as quickly as I could for this next chapter.**

* * *

The night air was getting nice and crisp; the perfect weather for a game. The Wuncler Stadium was packed to the brim with people; Wuncler Academy normally had large crowds for football games. The opposing team was from Nicolas Academy, a rivalry school from across town. Wuncler Academy donned red, gold, and white uniforms, while Nicolas Academy sported blue, silver, and black ones. The stadium itself was divided; one half was overrun with Nicolas, the other side was dominated by Wuncler. In both crowds, parents of students participating in the game wore their child's school colors in the forms of shirts, hats, posters, and miniature pom-poms.

Standing on the field in front of the Wuncler's side was Jazmine. She had her uniform on, with her old, beat up white cheer shoes and her red and gold pom-poms in her hands. Her afro was slicked back into a fluffy pony-tail/bun. She wore makeup for the occasion, per usual, with red lipstick and a gold, smoky eyeshadow look to match her uniform. She stood beside her fellow cheerleaders as they waited for the game to officially start. All of them, however, were talking about Veronica.

Jazmine tried to ignore talking about Veronica, but sometimes it couldn't be helped. She had girls coming to her with questions simply because she knew Venus, and everyone knew Venus was Veronica's younger cousin.

The sound of the band entering the stadium snapped Jazmine back to reality. From her position on the field, Jazmine could see the band entering from the side and climbing the steps to their seats in the stadium. The dance team had also arrived, and were waiting for their turn to enter the stadium after band. Jazmine eyed the band carefully; the drumline would be the last to enter. Huey was one of the three tenor players, and would probably be in the middle-ish area. As the band entered, Jazmine spotted her cheer coach, coach Sanders, wave her over. Reluctantly, Jazmine tore her eyes away from the band and jogged over to her coach.

"Yes, coach? "Jazmine asked. Her coach wiped beads of sweat from her forehead with a damp rag, "Okay, start the girls off with the Wuncler cheer, and we'll go from there. "Coach Sander instructed. Jazmine nodded. She returned to her spot at the center of the cheer team, which was fanned out. She glanced back up at the band just in time to see Huey enter. He wore the band uniform, which consisted of black bibbers, something like a pair of overalls, a black shirt underneath, and a red and gold jacket that could be taken off when necessary. The band also had to wear fingerless black gloves, black shoes, and a tall hat with a red plume on it. Huey, who's afro was just a little too big, had to force his afro down into a tight bun in order for the hat to fit.

Jazmine smiled to herself as she watched Huey sit down. She turned to her cheer team and blew the whistle around her neck, which signaled her team that they were starting.

While Jazmine cheered on the field, four onlookers sat in the stadium. Riley, Cindy, Hiro, and Ming had come to the game together to watch Huey and Jazmine. Cindy was messing with her hair, which was tied back into a long pony tail. Ming had her own hair in two neat, tight braids. Hiro had his arm slung around Ming's shoulders, pulling her into him. Riley and Cindy were content with holding hands.

"Aw, come on, is the game startin' already? "Riley asked Cindy. Cindy nodded, "I think so, soon. They're gettin' the band in first, they gotta play the opening song for the football team. "she took a bite out of her sour pickle, savoring the taste as she chewed. Sure enough, after a few more minutes, the band started up with the school's theme song and the Wuncler football team rolled out onto the field. Nicolas's band also began playing, and their team bounded out onto the field.

The four stood with the rest of the crowd as the national anthem came on, sung by Wuncler's choir. After a roar of applauds, the crowd resumed sitting, and the game officially started. "You think Nicolas will win? "Riley asked. Cindy shook her head, "Our football team is literally one of the best in the city, I dunno about Nicolas's team, but ours wins, like, all the time. "

Cindy peered downwards, searching for Jazmine in the cheerleading squad. She wasn't hard to miss; her strawberry blonde afro stood out amongst the sea of white blondes and deep brunettes, all stark straight and done up in high pony-tails topped with red and gold bows. Cindy took out her phone and began recording Jazmine doing a cheer routine, and began screaming as their team got an upper hand in the game.

Jazmine ruffled her pom-poms together, smiling up at the crowd. She had just finished a routine with the other cheerleaders, and they were going to pause for a few minutes. She turned around towards the field just as someone was being tackled; Mathew "Bubs" Mayheart, the star quarterback of the Wuncler football team. The referees called a time, and two other football players helped Mathew to his feet and off to the side while the other players took a knee. He wasn't limping, but a tackle like that could be bad.

They sat him down on a bench close to where Jazmine was. Jazmine had knelt with the other cheerleaders as a small hush fell over the crowd. She eyed Mathew as he sat down on the ground once more and was inspected. After a few minutes, he was cleared, and a triumphant applause rose from the crowd. Mathew stood up and stretched, and looked at Jazmine just as she happened to look at him. They made brief eye contact, and he gave her an award winning smile and a wink.

Behind her, Jazmine could hear the other girls whispering, "Oh, Jazmine! "one of them said, coming to her side and giving her a small hip bump, "Did you see that, or was that just me? "she then asked. Jazmine looked at who was talking to her: Camilla Preston, a tall, easily excited blonde. Jazmine rolled her eyes and was met with giggles. She looked behind them and spotted Samantha.

Jazmine hadn't heard from Samantha ever since Veronica went into the hospital. Samantha had started keeping to herself, which was fine by Jazmine. Jazmine didn't need Samantha butting in and trying to continue on what Veronica had started. Samantha wasn't a ringleader, anyways. She was the kind of person that needed someone to follow, that needed someone to justify why she did what she did. If anything, Veronica had been Samantha's scapegoat.

"I hear he's single again, "Alyssa Coin said in a sing-song voice, snapping Jazmine back to reality. She rolled her eyes again, "I'm not interested, "she replied simply. Alyssa giggled, "Oh, that's right, you're seeing the new guy, Huey isn't it? "

"Oooh, I know who you're talking about! "Camilla squealed, "Huey's one hundred percent fine as fuck. "the girls erupted into giggles as Jazmine's face grew slightly red, "His brother's equally fine, "another girl, Lacy Cruz, chimed in, "Riley? I have him for a class, he's hot, too. "

"Aw, but he's with Cindy, "Camila said.

"McPhearson? "

"Yeah, he asked her out to homecoming at lunch, remember? "

"Oh yeah! "Lacy sighed, "Too bad, I would've loved to have gone with him to homecoming. "Jazmine smirked at her disappointment.

Up in the stands, Huey had spotted Jazmine on the field. He watched as she performed her cheer routines, barely paying attention to the game itself, "Hey, Huey, "his bandmate, tenor player Alex Shirley, said. Huey turned to look at him, "Hmm? "he asked.

"I heard you're taking Jazmine to homecoming, "Alex went on. He twirled one of his drumsticks in his hand, "Yeah, I am, "Huey replied, arching a brow slightly in suspicion, "Look, bandmate to bandmate, there's a little rumor going around the football team, "Alex went on. Now Huey was curious, "A rumor? About what? "he inquired. Alex shrugged, "Well, you know the star quarterback, Mathew? "

Huey rolled his eyes. He didn't know Mathew personally, but he'd seen him before. Mathew was an asshole, to say the least. He was a junior, and was about Huey's age. He wasn't a typical high school jock from a movie, Mathew was actually pretty smart. Maybe not book smart, but he knew his way around. Mathew knew how to start drama and how to stay on top of it. He knew that girls like him, and he used it to his advantage. Huey had never spoken a word to Mathew, but he had overheard him and his buddies talking in the hallways before, and nothing they said was ever any good. In fact, they seemed totally absorbed in sex and money.

Mathew was the son of a rich businessman in Woodcrest, which wasn't surprising. He drove a 100,000 dollar car and always sported a Rolex on his wrist. His clothes were designer, down to the last detail. Mathew had money and loved to flaunt it. It was one of the more attractive attributes he had. He wasn't bad looking, either; he was a tall white boy, maybe almost Huey's height. He had long, dark brown hair that he pulled back into buns, and had piercing blue eyes the color of clear water. He had strong facial features, like Huey, only unlike Huey, he didn't grow beards, or any facial hair for that matter. He was pretty well built, being on the football team.

"Yeah, I know of him, "Huey replied bluntly, "why do you ask? "

"Well…rumor has it that he has his eyes on your Jazmine. "Alex said slowly. Huey clenched his fists, but made his best attempt to not give away his growing anger and discomfort on the subject. He glanced up at spotted Jazmine again. She was talking with a few of the other cheerleaders, her back towards the game itself. Huey sighed, "Well, thanks for telling me. "Huey said sincerely.

Alex nodded, and resumed talking to whoever he'd been talking to previously. Huey turned his attention back to Jazmine. She just so happened to look up, and their eyes met. Jazmine gave Huey a wide grin, and blew him an air kiss. Huey gave her a small smile himself, and waved back. Then, she returned to performing another cheer.

Cindy, Riley, Hiro, and Ming clapped as the buzzard sounded off, signaling the end of the second quarter. After two tiring quarters, Wuncler Academy was reigning as the current winner with twenty-seven points to Nicolas's fourteen. Now, it was halftime, the moment that they had really been waiting for. In fact, it was the only reason why they'd come. Riley had informed Huey prior to the game that, after the halftime, he and their friends were most likely going to leave, to which Huey said okay to.

Huey stood up from his seat and began donning the rest of his uniform. He pulled his tenor drum back on, grabbed his hat and drumsticks, and waited to be let down out of the bleachers.

Meanwhile, Jazmine was preparing to enter the bleachers with her teammates when she felt someone grab her arm. Turning around, she was met face to face with Mathew. Jazmine had never really spoken to Mathew formally; he was once a friend of Veronica's, but after her whole breakdown, Jazmine assumed that they no longer spoke to each other. She knew _who_ he was, though. Mathew was a playboy, a heartbreaker, and an asshole. He had dated so many girls, Jazmine couldn't keep track of them. She knew he'd had a fling with Veronica at some point.

"Hey, it's Jazmine, right? "Mathew said. His voice was almost melodic-like, but was still at a lower pitch. Jazmine nodded, "Yeah, I am. "she replied, but her answer was short and simple. She wanted to let it be known that she really wasn't interested. Mathew, however, either didn't catch on to her hints or didn't care, as he followed her to where she and her teammates were sitting, "Mind if I join you ladies? "he asked innocently.

Jazmine turned to her teammates and rolled her eyes, but was met with a chorus of "Of course you can sit with us! "she blew out some air and turned back to Mathew, who had decided to sit right next to her. Uneasily, Jazmine sat down, sticking herself as close to Camilla as she could without seeming uncomfortable.

Because it was a Wuncler home game, Nicolas's band was going first. As they began performing, Mathew began talking, "So, Jazmine, I hear you're now head cheerleader. "he began. Jazmine nodded, slightly annoyed, "Yeah, this is my first game as the official head cheerleader. "she replied. She kept her answer as simple and to the point as she could, hoping that he would grow bored of her answers. Mathew, however, pressed onwards.

"Ah, I see, "he said, chuckling. Behind her, Jazmine heard a collective, faint sigh from her teammates, "and how is being the head cheerleader? "he then asked. Jazmine shrugged, "It's a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. "she admitted honestly. Mathew nodded, "I know what you mean. Being considered the leader of the football team isn't rainbows and daises like I thought it was going to be. "

Jazmine could tell that he was being sincere, but she didn't know why. She nodded, "I completely understand. "

"So, are you going to homecoming? "Mathew then asked suddenly. Jazmine groaned inwardly. _Oh no, why does he have to ask this question? Does he not know about me and Huey? I don't see how he can't, I know a lot of people were talking about it._ Jazmine nodded, "Yes, actually, I am, "she replied as sweetly as she could. Mathew arched a brow, "I didn't realize you wanted to go alone, "he stated bluntly.

Jazmine forced herself to keep a smile on her face despite the fact that he had basically insulted her. She shook her head, "No, no, I'm going _with_ someone. "she emphasized the word 'with', hoping that Mathew would stop there. Instead, he pressed on, "Really? With who? "now he sounded annoyed, as if he was annoyed by her answer.

Jazmine, however, only smiled, "Huey Freeman, "she said proudly. Mathew furrowed his brows, "You're going to homecoming with _him_? "he asked, almost as if he couldn't believe it. Jazmine nodded, "Yes, I am. Is that some kind of issue, Mathew? "she asked innocently, giving him her best fake smile she could muster. Mathew only furrowed his brow deeper, "When did he ask you out? "he then asked. Jazmine bit the inside of her cheek, "He asked me a few days ago. "she replied pointedly.

Behind her, she could hear the other girls whispering. She turned around, and they pulled away from each other, their lips sealing together in silence. Jazmine was now getting annoyed. Turning back to Mathew, she spoke: "Aren't you supposed to be with the football team right now? "

As she said that, Nicolas's band had ended their performance, and were met with applause. Jazmine clapped, but she hadn't really been paying attention. She eyed Mathew as he stood up, "Yes, you're right, "he said, but then he smiled. Leaning down, his lips became level with her right ear, "Maybe you can…reconsider me sometime. "

"Reconsider? "she scoffed, "Reconsider what? You never even asked me anything in the first place. "Mathew, however, only flashed her and her team a heart throbbing grin before making his way out of the bleachers and towards the football team. Jazmine was left rather stunned by his bold actions; Mathew had never, ever made any sign of wanting to pursue something with her the past two and a half years of school, so why was he trying so hard now when he knew that she was in a relationship?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of the Wuncler band getting into place on the field. She looked up and instantly spotted Huey in the sea of black, red, and gold uniforms; not only was he one of the only darker skinned students, he was also one of the more taller members of the band, and boy oh boy did he stick out. To her sides, Jazmine could hear the girls whispering to each other frantically, and Huey's name popped out of their mouths more than once. However, she only rolled her eyes and continued watching the show.

Cindy and Riley had spotted Mathew talking to Jazmine from their seats high up in the bleachers, "Who's that? "Riley asked. Cindy's eyes narrowed, "That's Mathew Mayweather, the star quarter back of our football team. "she explained, "I dunno why he's talkin' to Jaz though, he's never spoken to her before. "

Just by his name, Riley could tell that this Mathew Mayweather was up to no good. From their seats, they could see the tension between Jazmine and Mathew. He sat with her during the whole Nicolas band performance, and once it was over, he finally stood up and sashayed down the bleachers to reunite with his team members. Cindy could tell just by Jazmine's body language that she was annoyed. However, Cindy's attention was caught by the blaring noise of the Wuncler Marching band, which was met with a loud applause from the viewers.

The performance was outstanding, to say the least. Cindy was impressed that Huey was able to perform the piece with little mistakes, given that he'd only been practicing for a few weeks. He hit every note and never missed a step.

Jazmine eyed Huey from her spot in the bleachers. She loved how effortlessly Huey did things, even though she knew he must've been trying extremely hard to remember his steps and notes simultaneously. Finally, the band's performance ended, and the crowd erupted into more applause.

With the band exiting the field, it was time for the football team to retake it. This also meant that the cheer team had to go onto the field as well. Jazmine took a last swig of her water and made her way onto the field, smiling and waving at the crowd, who eagerly applauded at her and her team. She spotted Huey making his way back into the stands and taking off his tenor drums and outer jacket. He pulled off his headpiece, revealing a scrunched up ball of hair. Huey wiped away sweat from his forehead as he took a large gulp from his water canteen.

"Yo, your afro, "Alex said, pointing to his sweaty mass of hair. Huey rolled his eyes, "This is how my hair gets sometimes. "he muttered. Huey had never been ashamed of his hair, but someone pointing it out didn't feel all too great in the slightest.

Huey peered down at the field and spotted Jazmine again. She was doing a few flips and turns, all while chanting a cheer. Once she had finished, she looked up into the crowd, waving and smiling as people applauded her and her team. For a brief second, she looked Huey's way, and their eyes met once more. Huey flashed her a mischievous grin while Jazmine gave him a flirtatious wink.

"Huey! "

From her position all the way down in the field, Jazmine heard a heavily accented female voice call out Huey's name. Her eyes darted from him to the crowd as she searched for the person who owned the voice. From her position, Jazmine spotted a tall, gorgeous girl standing by an entryway up into the stands. She had skin darker than Huey's, and wore a pair of high waisted jeans and a crop top. She was skinny, skinnier than Jazmine, and stood at least several inches taller than her. What caught Jazmine's attention was the girl's afro.

Jazmine watched as the girl grabbed Huey's attention. She waved at him, and he gave her a half-hearted wave back. Jazmine felt her muscles relax, and she realized that she had been frowning, which was something she wasn't supposed to do on the field.

"Hey, Jaz, we're starting again, "Camilla said to her, bringing her back to her reality. Jazmine nodded, "Yeah, okay. "and she went about doing another cheer routine.

* * *

Caesar could hardly keep his eyes on the road before blinking, forcing himself to stay awake. He was tired and he knew he was slowly shutting down, but he had to keep driving. Tonight, he should've been performing at the football game. Instead, he had asked for a leave of absence for a few weeks while Venus recovered, and was now headed towards the hospital to see her once again. He went to the hospital nearly every day, for long periods of time, just to see Venus.

But he was getting tired. While his friends were out having fun, he was having to go to a dreary hospital. The only light in that place was Venus.

They had only been dating for a little bit before the crash. He had only just asked her out to homecoming, which pretty much finalized their relationship. He had only just realized his feelings for her. He had to admit; he had never felt the way he felt for Venus before towards anyone else in his life. He had never seen someone and felt an instant attraction to them on sight.

Venus was a lot different than Caesar in many ways. She was young, almost questionably young for him, at fourteen. She wouldn't be fifteen for another few months, and by then Caesar would probably be closer to eighteen. Venus had dyed hair and piercings, Caesar had dreads and smoothed skin free of holes and jewelry bumps. Caesar came from a completely different city and a completely different culture, Venus came from a white suburb and only knew her immediate area. And then of course there was the obvious racial difference between them.

This actually raised a lot of questions for Caesar: Caesar really didn't know all that much about Venus. He knew she was Veronica's younger cousin, he knew she was basically a latchkey kid, which was something he wasn't. He knew her dad was out of the picture, and he knew she had two siblings. But he didn't really _know_ her; he didn't really know all of her likes and dislikes, her fears and phobias, her deep secrets, or her past. He didn't know anything about her life that hadn't involved him, really. Caesar also had never really told Venus anything about himself.

After driving on the road for a few more minutes, Caesar spotted a gas station, which was a block down from the hospital. He turned into it and parked the car in front of the store, turning off his car and settling into his seat for a moment. He was borrowing his parent's four-door until he could get his new car, which was courtesy from the driver who hit him. Well, his insurance, anyways. However, he still hadn't gotten one, and was resolved to using his parents for the time being.

Caesar finally decided to get out of the car. He made his way inside the store and began walking around absently, looking at the food and merchandise. He really didn't know why he had walked inside, he just knew he needed to clear his head, although he wasn't sure that a gas station was the right place. He also didn't know exactly what he was trying to clear from his head.

Caesar felt a pair of eyes on him as he studied the cokes in the back. Turning around, he spotted his viewer; it was a young girl, probably around his age. She was dark skinned like him, and had her long, brown hair pulled back in cornrows decorated with clips and beads. Her eyes were large and round, and were a deep, brown color. Her skin was smooth and rich-looking, and she had pouted lips that were a dark red. She wore a pair of too-tight skinny jeans and a yellow crop top with white shoes, and had a small, long purse slung over her shoulder. She was standing by the candy, and was eyeing him while trying to pretend like she was buying something.

Caesar turned back towards the cokes and decided to pull out a Dr. Pepper. When he turned around, the girl was now standing to his side, "Hey there, "she said in a sweet, feminine voice. Caesar arched a brow, "Hey? "he said quizzically. She smiled at him, "I've never seen you around before, "she commented. Caesar shrugged, "Did you need something? "he asked.

The girl looked him up and down before smacking her lips together, "Well, I couldn't help but notice you here all by yourself, "she mused, leaning on one leg so she stood more at an angle. Caesar nodded, "I just came in to buy something real quick, "he explained. The girl nodded, "Of course. "she said.

Caesar suddenly felt nervous. He shifted his weight slightly, "Did you need something? "he asked again.

"Well, I don't know if you'd call it needing something…, "she said slowly. She reached out and traced a finger down Caesar's arm. It sent a chill down his spine. She neared him, and leaned up to whisper in his ear, "Why don't we get outta here? "she chuckled quietly as she backed away, looking up at him with her large, brown eyes. Caesar gulped and felt his palms grow sweaty from nervousness, "I-I have a girlfriend, "he said quickly. He realized that she was hitting on him, and she had made no hesitation to get right to the point.

The girl leaned back and crossed her arms, but she gave him a playful smirk, "Of course you do. "she flashed him another grin before taking something out of her pocket. It was a piece of gum. She unwrapped it and stuck it into her mouth, chewing. She reached into her purse and pulled out a pen, and scribbled something down onto the wrapper. Finally, she handed it to Caesar, "Call me when you get bored of your little… _girlfriend_ , "she snickered at the word, turned around, and sauntered away out of the store. Caesar watched her leave, and made no sudden moves until she had exited the gas station.

Caesar decided to put the drink back and headed out to his car. He glanced around and spotted the girl getting into a car with another girl. They began talking, and the car drove away. Caesar looked at the wrapper to read it: 'Candise' was written in cursive, along with a phone number. Caesar balled his fists up, stuck the wrapper into his jacket pocket, and jumped into his car and sped off to the hospital.

He arrived a few minutes later. He knew which room Venus was in, and the staff already knew who he was going to see. He was there every day. And, he was also a patient once.

As he stood in the elevator waiting to reach Venus's floor, his mind wandered back to the girl; the way she looked at him, her warm finger against his skin, the way she spoke, the rush of electricity he felt down his spine at her touch. It was the same jolt he had felt when he'd first kissed Venus, the same one he felt when he first started looking at her. As he thought about it, he realized that his and Venus's relationship was...strained, to say the least. Venus hadn't really done anything romantic towards him in days; she was always either asleep or moody from her medications. Whenever he tried to be more romantic, she always shut down and would fall asleep or become upset. He knew that it was probably because of the medications' side effects, but it still hurt to be shut down like that.

The elevator door opened, and Caesar stepped out. He went down the hall, and made it to Venus's room. However, he stopped at the door, and peered inside curiously.

Venus was lying on her bed, as usual. She had her long, silver colored hair loose around her. It cushioned her face and made her look more angelic and peaceful, and it was getting slightly darker at the roots. Her eyes were shut, and her hands were clasped together on her stomach. Her skin was pale and smooth, and she still had dark circles under her eyes. Her perfectly pouted lips were a pale pink color. Her chest would rise and fall slowly with each breath she took. She looked beautiful, to say the least.

Caesar felt the rush of adrenaline leave his body as he watched Venus, his Venus, lie asleep in her hospital room. He hadn't realized it, but he'd taken out the wrapper from his pocket and was now holding it in his hand. He glanced back down at the name, Candise. Candise.

As if she sensed him, Venus's eyes fluttered open. Her purplish eyes cleared and spotted him standing at the doorway, "Caesar? "she whispered hoarsely. She coughed, sat up, and said his name again: "Caesar? "she smiled at him sweetly, flashing him a pearly grin.

Caesar gave her a small smile back, "Hey baby, "he replied softly. Venus blushed at the nickname, and outstretched her arm, her hand open, waiting for him to join her. Caesar didn't even glance back down at the wrapper before tossing it in the trashcan by the door. He approached Venus and took her hand into his. Lovingly, he kissed the back of it, and sat down in the chair next to her bed. Venus gave him a small smile before squeezing his hand gently with her own. Venus's eyes sent a different chill down his spine, and he knew he wanted to always feel that.

* * *

 **I added the band scene based off of the band halftimes at my school, football is a really big deal where I'm from, I don't know how it is elsewhere lol. Until next time**

 **xoxo, Queen**


	21. Homecoming Part 1

Jazmine placed another bobby pin in her hair, forcing another curl into place. She squirted some hair product onto her hands, massaged them together, and then began running them up along the backside of her hair in an upwards motion. She proceeded to pull at the top of her hair, where her curls were, fluffing her hair up slightly. She had small ringlets hanging loose just in front of her ears, and had laid her baby hairs down perfectly. She took a small, dense brush and smoothed it over her baby hairs once more as precaution.

Cindy released a strand of hair from her curling wand and pulled it away, allowing the strand of hair to fall in front of her shoulder in a tight curl. She sprayed it with a few spritz of hairspray before moving on to her final section. Once she was done, she ran her fingers through her curls, loosening them up a bit more for a bouncy, "effortless" look. Her now curly hair shaped her face perfectly, with little need for touch ups or a second look. She stood up and made her way over to where her dress was, hanging in Jazmine's closet.

Cindy had come over to Jazmine's house that Saturday afternoon to get ready for homecoming. She and Jazmine had gone earlier to get their makeup done professionally by a family friend of Jazmine's that gave them both discounts for the services. They had resolved to doing their own hair at Jazmine's house before slipping into their carefully selected dresses. Cindy's was a two-piece dress that was a crimson red color. The top was halter-style with glittery sequins adorning it with intricate designs. The skirt had a glittery "belt" and stopped around her ankles in a form fitting style. She had gotten silver heels and earrings to accent the dress.

Jazmine's dress was a little more "out there". Jazmine was not one to wear over-the-top clothes for formal occasions, but when Cindy had first spotted the dress in a sales window, she had practically forced Jazmine to try it on. Of course, Jazmine complied, and while she did fall in love with the dress, she felt it was a little too extravagant for homecoming. Nonetheless, Cindy had already been waiting in line, dress in hand, prepared to purchase it herself, to which Jazmine stopped her and paid for the entirety of the dress.

Jazmine's dress was a dark purple one piece that reached her ankles. It was form fitting, like Cindy's, and hugged her body tightly. It had thin straps and a borderline appropriate plunge that was deep enough to show off enough cleavage. The deal breaker for Cindy had been the back of the dress, which was cut low, stopping just above where her bellybutton would be had it been in the front. The dress was solid color, but had glittery sequins along the straps. It was simple, but it made a bold statement that Jazmine was not used to.

Jazmine helped Cindy into her dress before having Cindy help her slip into her own. Once the dresses were on, all they needed were the accessories and shoes. Cindy pulled on her heels and was at least four to five inches taller than normal, making her look like a goddess. Jazmine pulled on her shoes, and also gained a few more inches to her height. However, she was still nowhere near Cindy's goddess-level height.

"Are you ready? "Cindy asked, nudging Jazmine's side. Jazmine only stared at herself pointedly in her full length mirror, "Are you sure about this dress? "she then asked absently, "Don't you think it's a little too revealing for homecoming, Cin? "

Cindy rolled her eyes, "Of course not! "she replied, throwing her hands up in exasperation, "You're gonna be the best lookin' one there, and I _know_ Huey's gonna love it. "

Jazmine smirked to herself. Cindy's phone chimed and she picked it up. She had received a text from her mother, to which she speedily replied to. Afterwards, she pulled up her Twitter and began scrolling through. She rolled her eyes when she came across a particular post from a particular photo.

Mathew had posted an update on his current plans for homecoming. It made Cindy want to puke to even see anything about him. Jazmine had told Cindy about the incident with Mathew at the game the previous day. Cindy had also thought it was odd for Mathew to be trying to come on to Jazmine when it was widely known that she and Huey were dating. Cindy despised Mathew beforehand, but now loathed him even more. He was proving to be bothersome, annoying, and suspicious.

Speaking of suspicious, Jazmine had also told Cindy about what she had witnessed between Huey and a mysterious girl in the stands. Jazmine had told her that she later found out from Huey that this mysterious girl who had tried to pry Huey's attention from Jazmine was called Lela, and that she was a new student at their school that was in one of Huey's classes. Jazmine had managed to casually get Huey to tell her that Lela was from Africa, and that she had moved to America as a young child.

"I don't like her, "Cindy announced suddenly, as if reading Jazmine's thoughts. Jazmine nodded, "I know, I don't like her either. She gives off such a weird vibe; I can't stand it. "Jazmine walked over to Cindy to help her slip into her dress, and Cindy did the same for Jazmine. It was a little difficult to slip into their shoes one the dresses were on, but when they had, they both gained a couple inches in height. Jazmine walked back over to her vanity to pick up a perfume and spritz a little on her. She passed it to Cindy, who did the same. They helped each other pull on their necklaces and earrings, before finally standing in front of Jazmine's full length mirror to admire their work.

"Well I think we look poppin', "Cindy said, flipping a curled piece of hair over her shoulder. Jazmine nodded, "I can't wait for Huey to see this, "she blushed slightly at the large dip in the front of her dress, but she forced herself to turn away so Cindy wouldn't notice.

"What time is it? "Cindy asked, looking at her phone to answer her own question. Her long nails clicked against the screen in a satisfying noise. Both girls had gotten their nails done: Jazmine's purple, Cindy's white. "It's almost 6, "Cindy said, "They should be getting here soon…, "

At her words, a knock came at the door. Cindy squealed and lunged over to the bed to grab her purse and phone, "Cindy, be careful! "Jazmine gasped, worried about Cindy's new dress. Cindy slung her purse over her shoulder, phone in hand, "Are you gonna get yours or what? "she asked, flashing a pearly grin. Jazmine nodded, grabbing her own purse and phone and left her room with Cindy.

They made their way downstairs, where Jazmine's parents waited, "Oh, you look so beautiful honey! "Sarah sniffed, "Mom, "Jazmine groaned as her mother snapped a picture of her. Tom opened the door, revealing the two Freeman brothers. Jazmine inhaled sharply, and Cindy coughed nervously.

They had told the boys the colors of their dresses so that they could match them, but they hadn't known what they would be wearing. Riley wore a pair of black slacks with black shoes, a black bowtie, and a silky red button-down shirt. His cornrows were freshly done and pulled back out of his face. Huey wore something similar; black slacks, black shoes, a silky dark purple button-down shirt underneath a grey vest, and a black tie. He had tamed his afro slightly, although there wasn't much he could do to tame it completely.

When Huey spotted Jazmine, he felt his heartbeat quicken. Riley had the same experience when his eyes landed on Cindy. The girls approached them, equally nervous, "Well, we need to take some pictures before you go! "Mrs. Dubois announced, breaking the silence. Huey and Riley snapped out of their trance like state to look over at Mrs. Dubois, who had her phone in her hand and a smile on her face.

After a few quick pictures with each other and as couples, the four made their way out to Dorothy, Granddads car that he allowed Huey to borrow for the night. Huey opened the passenger's door for Jazmine, while Riley helped Cindy shimmy into the backseat before climbing in after her. Huey sat in the driver's seat, backed out of the driveway, and took off.

The drive there, Cindy did nothing but take pictures of herself with Riley. Jazmine giggled as Riley began groaning and complaining about Cindy's need to take a million selfies with him, but complied nonetheless. Meanwhile, Huey had casually grabbed Jazmine's hand with his own, lacing his fingers in between hers. She tightened her grip on his hand and turned to look at him. She smiled as she studied his face, and turned away when he had stopped to glance at her at a stoplight.

Finally, they reached the school. Riley helped Cindy out of the car first, allowing her to loop her arm through his and they sauntered away, never once calling out for Huey or Jazmine. The pair didn't mind; they hadn't been planning to spend the entire night with the younger couple anyways, and were fine with them walking off. Huey went around the car and opened Jazmine's door, helping her out. She caught him looking at her as she exited, feeling his eyes on her exposed skin. She smiled to herself.

He escorted her inside towards the cafeteria, where the dance was being held. Upon entering, the two were met with bright, flashing lights that changed colors. The whole cafeteria had been transformed almost overnight into a glitzy showroom. There were tables set up along the sides for people to sit at, with the center of the cafeteria having been cleared for a dancing area. Silver, purple, blue, and glitter streamers were hung from the ceiling, and the ceiling itself was almost covered with silver and purple balloons. Glitter was strewn almost everywhere, and there was little to no lights other than the multicolored flashing lights and a few over by the tables.

Upon entering, eyes averted towards them, and Huey knew that they were focused on Jazmine. There was no denying that Jazmine wore probably one of the most exquisite dresses there, and the flashiest; as they walked through the crowd, Huey had yet to find a dress quite like Jazmine's. Most of the other girls wore shorter, more subdued dresses. Sure, they still had them decked out in glitter and jewels, but none were as low cut or as revealing as Jazmine's. Huey could see some of the girls turning to look at Jazmine's and giving her sneering looks—which Huey associated with jealousy, and maybe even insecurity.

Jazmine herself felt slightly uncomfortable. This dress was entirely out of Jazmine's usual attire. She could feel people's eyes on hers as they made their way through the crowd, towards a table to eat at. Huey pulled out a chair and Jazmine sat down, thanking him. He looked over towards the food tables lined against a wall, "Are you hungry? "he asked. Jazmine thought for a moment; she was slightly hungry, but she was more nervous than anything, which overcame her need to eat. However, she decided to nod, hoping that maybe some food could ease her nerves. Huey strode over to the food tables and grabbed two plates.

Jazmine was now alone, which was something she was dreading. However, her loneliness was instantly diffused as she spotted a familiar face in the crowd.

"Ming! "she called out, waving. Ming was a yard or two away from her, on the dance floor. She wore a gold dress made entirely out of sequins. It had spaghetti straps, and had a deep slit on the left side. She had her long black hair pulled up into a bun, with a few strands hanging out that were slightly curled. In her hair, she had two golden chopsticks as accessories. She wore a pair of gold heels that made her even taller than what she already was. However, the look on her face was less than happy—Jazmine could see through her perfectly made up face that Ming was upset.

"Ming! "Jazmine called her out again. This time, Ming began searching the crowd, as she had heard her name. She finally spotted Jazmine sitting at a table, and hurried over towards her, bumping into people and apologizing.

"Ming, are you okay? "Jazmine asked, slightly worried. Ming sat down in a huff, her face slightly red from having rushed over to Jazmine, "Y-yes, "she stammered, "I'm alright, "but there was something in her tone that told Jazmine otherwise. Jazmine arched a brow, "Ming, is something wrong? You look so flustered, "she then glanced around, "where's Hiro? "

"He's almost here, "Ming answered, setting her small purse down on the table in front of her. She inhaled sharply and exhaled, "Sorry, I've just been out of breath recently. "her hands remained on her purse, almost like she was protecting it. Jazmine nodded, "Well, Huey's up, I can ask him to get you something to drink if you want, "Ming nodded, "Yes, please, that would be good. Just a water, "Jazmine nodded.

Huey returned with two plates and two bottles of water, "Huey, can you grab Ming a bottle of water? She's not feeling too well, "Jazmine asked. Huey nodded, "Yeah, of course, "he turned around to walk away once more. Jazmine turned back to Ming, but she still had the same worried expression on her face.

"Ming, are you sure you're okay? "Jazmine asked, "You don't look well, "

"I'm fine, "she said quickly, "Where's Cindy? "

"She's with Riley somewhere, "Jazmine replied, looking around, "I haven't seen her since we got into the school; she and Riley took off as soon as we'd parked. "

Huey returned with a water. Ming thanked him and took it, taking a few long sips before recapping it and placing it beside her purse. Huey sat down and began eating slowly; he could sense tension coming from both Jazmine and Ming, but he had no idea what was going on. From the look on Jazmine's face, she was just as confused as Huey.

Ming suddenly stood up, grabbing her purse, "I need to use the restroom, "she stated. Jazmine looked up at her, "Okay, do you need me to come with you? "she asked, "Ming shook her head, "No, I'm fine, thank you though, "and she darted away, weaving through the thickening crowd of teenagers.

"What's wrong with her? "Huey asked Jazmine, "She looked kinda…off, "he took a bite of his small salad. Jazmine shrugged, "I really don't know. She came over here looking flustered and kinda scared, and suddenly she looked like she was gonna puke. "

"You think she's sick? "Huey asked. Jazmine shrugged, "She might be, she wouldn't say. She kept insisting that she was fine. "

Then, the two were approached by a dressed-up Hiro. He wore a pair of grey slacks, a white, long-sleeved button-up shirt underneath a grey vest, and a gold tie. His black shoes were shiny under the lights, and he'd slicked back his black hair, "Hey guys, "he said. Hiro stood up and greeted him as they did a sort of handshake, "What's up? "Huey asked. Hiro shrugged, "Have you seen Ming? "he then asked, "We were supposed to meet at the entrance, but I couldn't find her. "

"Yeah, she went to the bathroom, "Jazmine replied, "I'm sure she'll be back in a few minutes. "Hiro nodded, and took a seat next to Huey at the table.

"Hey, is Ming sick? "Jazmine asked. Hiro arched a brow, "What? "he looked at her, confused. Jazmine only continued: "Before she went to the bathroom, Ming looked really sick. She sat down, had a drink, and looked like she was gonna throw up. "Hiro shrugged his shoulders, "Ming's been feeling bad for a few days, she told me yesterday that she thinks she has a stomach virus or something. She insisted on coming today, though. "

"Ah, "Jazmine nodded, taking a bite of her own salad, "There's food over there if you're hungry, "Jazmine pointed out. Hiro shook his head, "Nah, I'm not hungry yet. "

A minute later, Cindy and Riley had sauntered over, laughing and talking loudly. They had just finished dancing a few songs, and were worn out already, "Already tired, Cin? "Jazmine asked Cindy. Cindy only laughed as she took a seat next to Jazmine, "Boy, they're playing some fire songs. Riley and I couldn't stop dancing once we'd started! "she and Riley shared a laugh.

"Cindy, "Jazmine began casually, "can you go check on Ming? She's in the bathroom, she might be sick. "Cindy sucked in a few breaths before nodding, "Yeah, sure thing, "she said, standing up. She gave Riley a quick peck on the forehead before slowly walking away. After a few steps, Jazmine watched as Cindy removed her heels and began taking long strides the rest of the way.

As Jazmine turned her head to face her friends, she spotted a familiar, yet unwanted, person.

Lela stood off to the side, away from the crowd. she wore a long black dress with a lowcut neckline, like Jazmine's. Her dress hugged her body tightly, showing off her curves. She wore a pair of black heels to make herself even taller, and she had her hair perfectly done. She wore makeup, with long lashes and a bold, red lipstick. Her skin looked almost illuminated in the lights, and Jazmine felt slightly intimidated. She looked down at her own dress and sighed.

Huey noticed her discomfort and turned to her, "Everything okay? "he asked. Jazmine looked up with a fake smile plastered on her face, "Of course, "she lied.

Meanwhile, Cindy had made her way to the bathroom, "Ming, you in here? "she called out. There was only one other girl in the bathroom washing her hands. At Cindy's voice, she rushed out. Cindy began looking down at the bottom of the stalls, and spotted a pair of gold heels. She approached the stall door that shielded whoever wore the gold heels, and gently knocked, "Ming, are you in there? "she asked again.

She heard a hiccup, and a sigh, "Y-yes, I'm here, "Ming replied. Cindy saw the gold heels move as, what Cindy assumed, Ming stood. Cindy heard the toilet flush, and then silence. Cindy knocked again, "Hey so, Jazmine's worried about you. She said that you weren't feeling good and she sent me in here to check up on ya and make sure you're not like, throwing up or something. "

She was met with silence. Slightly annoyed, Cindy put her hands on her hips, "Ming? Why aren't you answering me? "her voice was slightly lowered.

Suddenly, Cindy heard the click of the stall's lock and the stall door opened slowly. Cindy saw Ming's face half hidden by the door as she opened it. Her cheeks were red and her brow quivered as she gripped the door so hard her knuckles turned white. Cindy's hands dropped from her hips and her annoyed expression was replaced with a concerned one, "Hey, are you okay? I can go get Hiro and he can take you home…, "she waited for a reply, but Ming only hiccupped again, "No…please, don't get Hiro, "she whispered pleadingly.

Cindy arched a brow, "Seriously Ming, what's goin' on? Why are you acting like this? Are you sick? "Cindy was trying to figure it out on her own, but couldn't.

The door to the stall opened all the way, and Ming walked out. Her facial expression was pinched, her cheeks were red, and her eyes were watery. Cindy looked down. Clutched in Ming's left hand was a gold purse with a long strap. In her right was a small ruler-like object.

"Ming, why are you carrying a ruler? "she asked, confused. Ming gave her a quizzical look and glanced down at her right hand. She then laughed slightly, but it was a sad laugh, "It-it's not a ruler, "she said.

Suddenly, it clicked.

* * *

Venus was a little depressed.

It was homecoming at Wuncler Academy, and she was stuck in the hospital. She sat upright in her bed as the TV on the other side of the room played movies given to her by her sister. On the nightstand next to her, a lamp gave off a little light, enough for Venus to see her surroundings. It was seven o'clock that Saturday evening, and all Venus could think about was what everyone else was doing at homecoming.

She had encouraged Cesar to go to homecoming, by himself or with a friendly date, while she was at the hospital. Caesar had told her no, but after a few more minutes of arguing, he seemed to give in. Venus had made him promise to take pictures of everyone there, and to tell her all about the party the next day.

Venus pushed a strand of her silver hair out of her face. Her roots were getting dark, as she had not dyed her hair in a few weeks, and now did not know when she would be able to. Her skin was clear of any makeup, and her eyes looked tired in the dim light. She had just finished dinner, which was hospital food, and had the tray on a stand off to the side, signaling that she was done with her food. A large bottle of water was on the nightstand next to her, ready for her to drink.

Venus had dreamed about going to homecoming with Caesar ever since he'd first asked her. She had planned to go dress shopping with Cindy and Jazmine, and she had already formulated how she'd wanted to do her hair and makeup. She had the night all laid out in her mind, but it never came into the light.

Venus felt tears welding in her eyes, but she forced them away. She knew she had no reason to be crying, but at the same time, she knew she did. She was missing out on so much, all because someone decided to run a red light and almost kill her.

Venus did not remember much about the crash. She only remembered hearing Caesar call out her name before…nothing. There was an empty void in her mind where the memory should have been, but Venus could not get anything to resurface. She was told by her doctors that the crash probably gave her amnesia, but it should have gotten better by now. Truthfully, Venus did not want to remember the crash, so she was fine with never knowing what happened.

Venus heard a soft tap at the door. Wiping her eyes, she spoke, "Come in, "she said. She was expecting to see one of the nurses assigned to her waltz in and take her tray, but instead, she gasped at who entered the room.

Caesar stepped into the dimly lit room. He wore a pair of white slacks with a white shirt underneath a white dress coat, and black shoes. He had on a crimson red bowtie, and had his dreads pushed out of his face. In his hands, he carried a bouquet of fresh red roses. Venus put her hands to her mouth in awe as he stepped in, "Having dinner without me? "he asked.

Venus chuckled in disbelief, "Caesar? What are you doing here? I thought you said you were going to homecoming! "she exclaimed. Caesar shook his head, "Why would I go to homecoming without you? "he asked. Venus shrugged, and began blushing almost instantly.

He approached her, setting the roses in her lap. Venus smiled as she studied them, while Caesar grabbed a chair and pulled it up next to her, "Did you really think that I was gonna go to homecoming without you? "he asked. Venus shrugged again, "I dunno, I just didn't think you'd wanna spend a Saturday here. This place is so boring and depressing. "Caesar laughed, and she giggled along with him, "Well you're not wrong, this place is depressing and kinda boring, "he reached out and grabbed her hand with his, lacing his fingers in between hers, "But you're here, and you're not boring, or depressing. "

Venus felt her face turn red as she looked away, letting her hair fall around her face to conceal her reddening cheeks. Caesar chuckled. He pushed the strands of her hair out of her face and tucked them behind her ear, and he leaned over to give her a peck on the cheek, "I wouldn't wanna spend my Saturday night anywhere else, love, "he whispered.

Venus smiled to herself, and she turned her head to look at him. They pressed their foreheads together and closed their eyes, and for that one moment, the thought of being in a hospital melted away, because they were together.

* * *

 **another little hiatus but I'm back once again. To be honest, I've been having writers block for No Boundaries and Smoke and Shadows. I think I know what I wanna do for those two stories, No Boundaries should be coming to an end soon, but as of right now I can only really come up with the plot for this story. Anyways, what do you think is up with Ming? Or was the hint big enough lol. Veronica should be making an appearance in the next few chapters, and the year is also going to progress a little faster.**

 **xoxo, Queen**


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